Hands On Engineering

Should you study engineering in an academic environment then apply it in a job, or gain experience then study a subject in an academic environment. 

Many companies want universities to provide training, but are universities their to just provide education?

I spent the weekend at a hands on bridging and structures weekend. Friday night was spent mixing concrete - exciting I know!

On Saturday, the task of constructing a suspension bridge using only basic materials, and without reaching the other side was proposed. An important learning for me from this was that their was, like many engineering problems, no correct solution or design. An optimum design put the skills of the design and build group to maximum use.

A 12th scale model of a Bailey Bridge was constructed - a fantastic design. The model was useful to see where problems could be avoided when constructing the real thing.

A timber framed structure, was like a giant set of knex - it demonstrated the importance of bracing, and structural design to maximise structure strength. 

Sunday looked at timber connection types, and different materials in a simple a-frame shelter.

It is easy for chemical engineers to say that understanding bridges and structures is not important for their job. After all, that's a civil engineers responsibility, right? 

I believe skills and knowledge of other engineering areas is essential. This is because it provides a holistic view of engineering, and allows different disciplines to communicate well with one-another. This is especially important in humanitarian and development engineering as the number of engineers in developing countries is so low.

Kidnapped!

On Thursday I held the role of an engineer visiting two internally displaced person (IDP) camps, in the North of the fictional country of Clarintina. Our aim was to visit the IDP camps and carry out needs assessments of the local population.

'Our NGO vehicle trundled slowly towards the IDP camp. A guard, armed with an AK47 stood beside the road. He ordered us to stop and get out of the vehicle. Upon failing to produce required documentation, we went to speak to the boss. I could feel myself shake as we were questioned about the purpose of our visit, what we were doing, and where we could help.BANG, BANG! Our group all dropped for cover. Shooting and explosions from the other end of the camp drew the boss away from us. We were then accused of drawing in combatants to the IDP camp. We were chased out of the camp, and sped away in our vehicle.'

Our next task was to visit a regional leader, but on the way we discovered another NGO vehicle crashed beside the road. Our training taught us to drive on, but after establishing it was a safe area, we put our first aid training into practice. An assortment of prosthethic wounds were used in the simulation to make it really realistic. Chaos ensued. Too many cooks spoil the broth - In this situation too many first aiders with little direction caused time wasting, and the two casualties 

"At the scene, two staff from save the children were discovered with an assortment of injuries. Blood was gushing from head and arm wounds, and the driver had a broken leg. The team responded and issued first aid to the victims. It became difficult to make the casualties stable with only a limited first aid kit. Improvisation when so far from medical assistance was necessary. Finally help arrived from a nearby MSF team in the area, and we handed over the situation to them."

Our 3rd task was to visit a second IDP camp. After passing a UN checkpoint, we drove unexpectedly into a minefield. What would you do if you found yourself in a minefield? We waited for UN help to arrive, and were evacuated from the situation. We were escorted back to the UN checkpoint, but soon after became caught in crossfire, hearing shooting from an unknown location. Only the direction the UN official was pointing his gun gave away the direction of the oncoming fire. We escaped, using the bullet proof UN vehicle as shielding. The simulation ended by a being car-jacked.Armed men wearing balaclavas approached our vehicle, ordered us out and pressed guns against our foreheads. We were asked to place bags over our head so we couldn't see, and driven at speed to a drop off point. The situation was out of our control. There were many learnings from the simulation. I felt the most significant was to trust the team, and to know your story!

I believe situational based learning simulations have many uses for many other sectors. It presents a real opportunity to develop leadership skills, and get out of the office.One particular learning for me was the significance of saying 'I am an engineer' to the IDP camp boss. Very few people understand what it means in the UK, yet alone abroad. 

Day 4
What should you do if a grenade lands at your feet? 
What can you expect if you are kidnapped?
What should you keep in a grab bag?

Friday's discussions broke down the dilemma's we faced on the simulation, and explored our possible actions to ensure our personal safety. We discussed things that we had come to realise for ourself during the siumlation. Our last exercise covered grab bag essentials. In groups we put together lists of essentials for a grab bag - items which would be essential to include if faced with a security risk. What would you put in yours?The whole week has been a fun, exhuasting and education experiance. I would like to thank Clarity Security Training, and everyone else on the course for making it such an enjoyable experience.