Generation Exchange Dinner Debate 2009

The 2009 Generation Exchange dinner served up another entertaining debate, a summary of the debate is contained below. On the night the negative side won both topics do you agree? Or do you have something else to add to the debate? Leave your comments using the link below.

 

TOPIC 1:

Engineers have achieved more in the last 90 years than any other time in history.

 

AFFIRMATIVE ARGUMENTS:

• Although there has been significant achievements in the past, the pace and the number achievements in the last 90 years outstrips any other time.
• The expansion of Engineering from pre 1919 Military and Civil fields, into the broad range of fields we have today such as bio-medical, chemical & aerospace, shows engineers have accomplished more in this period of time and that these achievements have affected a broader range of areas.
• The quality of life people enjoy today has been improved more in the last 90 yrs than any other time. In addition today’s engineers are rectifying the mistakes made in the past.

NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS:

• Today’s achievements are merely past achievements re-invented i.e. bridges.
• Engineers today are just adding on to the work of past engineers who had to overcome much greater challenges (some of the examples given were cars, planes and supply of essential services).
• Pre 1919 achievements such as the industrial revolution have changed the world more significantly than any achievement in the last 90 yrs.

TOPIC 2:

Since the economic crisis, there is no longer an engineering skills shortage in Australia.

AFFIRMATIVE ARGUMENTS:

o        The skills of engineers are a valued commodity and many engineers are poached to work in other professional roles such as management and finance. The true skills shortage is in these professions not in Engineering.

o        Their may be shortages in some fields of engineering but there is an oversupply in others if employers and employees were open to working/employing engineers in other fields their would be no skills shortage (an example given was aerospace engineers working in the automotive industry).

o        In today’s global economy you cannot consider Australia in isolation. The topic is wrong and you must consider the world view and as such there is no shortage.

 

NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS:

• Overseas job advertisements for Australian engineering Jobs were shown. The point was made that we are so desperate for engineering skills in Australia, we would be willing to hear about Australia loosing the ashes for the next two years by recruiting English Engineers.

• Australia cannot meet the demand for engineering skills with the current levels of migration and new graduates. Engineers Australia's work at addressing this problem was highlighted in Make It So
• Recent engineering failures were highlighted (the Southern Star was used as an example) possibly caused by a skills shortage.
• The skills of engineers are needed in other areas such as management, having engineers in these areas is a good thing.

 

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE AUDIENCE:

• With massive numbers of graduates coming out of China and India is their a shortage of engineering skills globally?
• Are graduates of 3 year engineering degrees recognized as professional engineers?

         Answer: Engineers Australia is the accrediting body for courses in Australia; they along with the university can provide information on which courses are accredited. As a general rule though graduates of 3 year courses are not recognized as professional engineers.