Student Mentorship
ASHRAE Ireland Mentorship Programme
ASHRAE Ireland is launching our inaugural mentorship programme. The purpose of this programme is to assist younger engineers in the early stages of their career and provide them with guidance and support from industry leaders.For an overview of the Mentorship Programme, please see the information below, and the recording of our briefing session held on 25th November.
On behalf of ASHRAE Ireland, I’m delighted to launch our new Mentorship Program for young engineers in Ireland, sponsored by CIM. The last 2 years have been particularly difficult for graduates and young professionals as they have had less opportunity for networking, peer support, and professional development at a critical stage in their career. This program, focused on the Mechanical Engineering, Energy systems and Building Services professions, is intended to provide a platform for connecting motivated young engineers with experienced professionals in their industry, aligned to their interest areas.
I’ve been amazed by the generosity and enthusiasm of the mentors who have signed up so far to support this program, and I am confident this will result in a truly lasting impact for those who participate. Our mentors possess a wealth of knowledge and experience across a wide range of industry applications from zero energy building design to pharmaceuticals and data centres. Most importantly though is their willingness to share their personal career experience and support with our mentees.
I’d like to sincerely thank all our volunteers and mentors who have engaged and supported this initiative so far, and particularly Conor Deane (ASHRAE Ireland YEA Chair) and Conor Murray (ASHRAE Vice-President), who have been instrumental in pulling this together so far. This initiative is inspired by, and aligned to, the current ASHRAE 2021-22 Presidential Theme: “Personal Growth. Global Impact. Feed the Roots”, set out by President Mick Schwedler. We were delighted to receive his words of wisdom and support when he recently addressed the Ireland Chapter in September 2021: https://lnkd.in/eDxT95eu
I hope this will be the start of something great, which will benefit many young engineers (and their mentors!) for years to come.
Sincerely,
Daniel Coakley, ASHRAE Ireland President 2021-22
The mentee is any individual in a building engineering related course or in their formative years of working in the industry. If you are a recent graduate or already have some experience in the industry, this program allows you to form a relationship with a fellow industry leader who are willing and able to provide you with support and guide you in the right direction. These members started out where you are and can be a great source of inspiration and information.
Benefits of being a mentee.
- Receive guidance and advice in the early stages of your career.
- An introduction to the industry and professional bodies.
- Opportunity to ask questions to industry experts.
- An introduction to both ASHRAE Ireland!
- Win the opportunity to travel to the ASHRAE Annual Conference in Toronto 2022
The mentor is a suitably experienced practicing engineer in the field of building engineering / building services / building technology with excellent communication skills and the capacity to provide a number of hours on a monthly basis to assist with mentee’s on any coursework / questions or industry related challenges and provide knowledge based solutions.
Benefits of being a mentor
- Certification as ASHRAE Mentor
- Contribute towards your CPD and Chartership
- Network with experienced professionals in your industry
- Help assist the growth and development of the next generation of industry professionals.
- Acknowledgment for you and your company on Mentorship programme promotional material and seminars.
If you are interested in participating in the YEA Mentoring Program—as either a mentor or mentee—the process is as easy as completing the Mentor Matching Survey. This survey allows us to make the most beneficial matches possible by taking into consideration factors such as areas of expertise, career path/work experience and interests.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/JC1MEz7Fys77gB289
Applications for the program are open now, with a closing date of 31st December 2021. They will be assessed on a rolling basis by our panel of mentors to ensure we effectively match mentors with mentees.
The following templates are recommended for mentees participating in this process:
The following guides may also be useful for participants
Finally, the below videos from ASHRAE YEA are useful for career tips and development:
ASHRAE highly encourages YEA members to attend the YEA Leadership Weekends for great networking and training with other YEA members: https://www.ashrae.org/communities/young-engineers-in-ashrae-yea/yea-events-and-programs/yea-leadership-international
ASHRAE Ireland will award one mentee the top prize of a sponsored trip to attend the ASHRAE Annual Summer Conference in Toronto in June 2022. The prize includes:
- Return Flights from Dublin to Toronto, Economy Class for 1 person (24-29 June 2022)
- 5 nights accommodation at the conference hotel (Sheraton / Hilton) ($249 /night)
- Conference Fee, First-time attendee member rate ($640 value)*
The entire prize is valued at approximately €2,000 and is sponsored by CIM and ASHRAE Ireland Chapter YEA Fund.
The prize will not cover the cost of any significant alterations, or costs incurred due to unforeseen travel disruption. The prize also does not cover travel and subsistence costs (e.g. food, taxis etc.) during your stay in Toronto. It is recommended that the winner arranges separate travel insurance to cover any potential travel issues, accidents or disruption.
*The registration fee is provided at the ASHRAE member rate. If the winner is not already an ASHRAE member, they will need to purchase an annual membership ($230) or pay the difference in cost for the non-member registration fee ($230).
We would like to thank the following for their support of this programme:
ASHRAE Ireland: Daniel Coakley, Conor Murray, Conor Deane, Karen McNevin,
Sponsors CIM, Cliona Barnes, Aoife Fitzpatrick, Paul Walsh
Supporters: Engineers Ireland
Mentors: Edith Blennerhassett, Paul Walsh, Conor Murray, Kate Kerrane, Gary O Sullivan, Gavin Coyne, John Smyth, Peter O’Dowd, Ken Goodman BSc (Hons) MSc CEng MIEI