Civil Engineering June 2022 | Vol 30 No 5

T he last two years have been chal- lenging for most individuals, and many have been left feeling isolated. As the world begins to open up, more people are venturing out and it is in this spirit that SAICE YMP resumed its social meetups. These events provide casual net- working sessions for engineers, and those in the industry. In these settings, individuals can connect with their peers in other organisations and share experiences, opening up possibilities for job, mentor or collaboration opportunities. 2022 NETWORKING EVENTS SAICE YMP’s first networking event for 2022 was held in Gauteng and was well attended by graduates, seasoned engineers and students. Those who were reserved opened up and soon everyone was engaging. Many questions were asked, and debates were had, with some off-the-cuff mentoring for the students entering the industry. Following on from this, the YMP hosted another hugely successful event in Cape Town. The turn-out was large and the weather was perfect for the rooftop venue. The vibrant young professionals in attendance were also graced by the presence of current SAICE President, Prof. Marianne Vanderschuren – a surprise for some of the graduates. The atmosphere was electric, and attendees made new connections, discussed pressing industry matters and highlighted problems faced by young engineers. SAICE YMP aims to grow and vary these events in the future and bring them to other locations, including online. The YMP encourages young SAICE members to join these networking sessions and broaden their networks and exposure in the industry. We aim for these events to lead to improved cohesion in the industry and more inspired engineers! Prepared by Shilpi Jain (author), Michael Mhlanga (photos), and Tsebo Koena (photos) for SAICE YMP SAICE YMP Industry networking sessions – linking engineers to open doors 66 June 2022 Civil Engineering