The Voice - Winter 2020 - 24

ENGINEERING ACADEMY

expectations for the role. Duma explained that it was quite common to be called a Project
Engineer when she started her career, however she noticed that the list of duties varied
from company to company. Similarly, Dunn witnessed the title of Project Engineer being
naturally assigned to the top technical expert, however no further training or instruction
followed. This new title did not replace their day jobs - making it harder to juggle both
responsibilities. Over the last decade there has been greater recognition in industry for
the need for proper training of a Project Engineer.

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" As Project Management matures and
moves to a different stratosphere, it leaves
behind a technical gap, " says Duma. Duma,
who has taught Project Engineering since
1995 notes that Project Managers in the
field are now gravitating more towards
the business management side, including
holistic management, benefits management,
and customer satisfaction. This is creating a
dire need for staff who can focus entirely on
the technical aspects.
In her experience, Duma has noted gaps
between the education of engineering
graduates and what is sought after in the
industry. Most notably, critical thinking
skills, communication, and leadership are
areas that are missed in a conventional
engineer's education. " You get out of school
and can calculate the speed of an electron at
the back of the TV tube, but you can't run a
meeting, " says Dunn. Dunn, who has worked
in every role of a Project Engineer's team
outlines the importance of mastering the
" people-orientated " tasks.
Lifelong learning is key when it comes
to a successful career in engineering, note
both Duma and Dunn. Principles and
ideas are constantly evolving. What was
considered state of the art two years ago is
not the same for today's market. The risk of
becoming obsolete is high, noted Duma.
OSPE has uniquely positioned
themselves to help close this engineering
learning gap. OSPE's Ontario Engineering
Academy (OEA) offers a multitude of
streams, from technical principles to
professional competency. The OEA
addresses the specific needs of the
engineering community through bitesized learning opportunities as well as full
length certification programs, including
this certificate in Project Engineering.

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To learn more about OEA's
program offerings, please visit
www.ospe.on.ca/oea

THE VOICE Winter 2021

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The Voice - Winter 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Voice - Winter 2020