By
Andrew Stackpool
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FLTLT
Yok Chung is the ACT Young Professional Engineer of the
Year.
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Photo
by PTE John Wellfare
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IDENTIFYING
ways for engineers to help solve their profession’s declining
workforce numbers has earned a flight lieutenant recognition from
his engineering peers.
Flight Lieutenant Yok Chung, from the communications information
management and electronic warfare project, won the ACT Young Professional
Engineer of the Year Award for 2004 for his “excellence in engineering
and community affairs”.
The annual award also recognised his participation in the promotion
of the profession oyngineering and topical issues to the community.
It was a major achievement for FLTLT Chung, who will now represent
the ACT in the National Young Engineering Awards at the Australian
National Engineering Excellence Awards in Canberra in November.
Part of the award submission was an article on engineering issues.
“I wrote about the inevitable decline of numbers entering the
future workforce and how engineers can identify key areas where
automation could consolidate or replace some current menial tasks,
for example, building cars,” FLTLT Chung said.
“With the advent of smarter software programs and computer systems,
the specialist skills in some areas, like bottling soft drinks,
can be replaced with a single computer system and one staff to
monitor the workflow.
“Automation frees up personnel to focus on other areas where human
cognitive skills are required, and it helps reduce the perceived
gap between workforce numbers and job vacancies. “I see the process
of identifying the key areas as being conducted in close conjunction
with industry leaders, as they have the most to gain as well as
the greatest influence.”
The award also recognised FLTLT Chung’s role developing networks
to showcase engineers within organisations such as the Young Professionals
Alliance. He is deputy chair of the Young Engineers Australia
Canberra Division and is also part of Air Force’s leading edge
teams that share ideas and form concepts for Air Force evolution
under the Adaptive Culture Program.
“The ideas we are exploring are getting to the senior command
levels and we are seeing some genuine results,” he said.
“I believe real, positive changes for the future are under way,
and that can only be good for our Air Force.”
FLTLT Chung graduated as an electronics engineer from ADFA in
1999 and went into communications.
His work has included an overseas deployment to the Middle East
in 2003. He said the award was an opportunity for engineers to
examine their achievements and map out where they wanted to go.
“It is a great experience for their future development, ambition
and self-confidence,” he said.
