Digital skills for future engineers

摘要

Eighteen months ago, I was appointed the 'digital leader' of the structural skills network within my firm. It was the first time this role had existed and my remit was simple: figure out what digital transformation means to structural engineering, and then explain it to everyone else. It's been an interesting journey so far, with many expeditions out into the digital wilderness to gather new ideas and viewpoints. The insight I've gathered feels like it should be shared more widely. I hope you find something here that either gives you a starting point for action, or reinforces the course you have already charted. The term 'digital' is so broadly encompassing as to be nearly meaningless. It implies the use of a computer and perhaps that something non-traditional is taking place, but it is generally unhelpful to our cause of understanding the specifics. Take, for example, the term 'design' in the context of a residential building. You could be determining the reinforcement in a pile cap or selecting the fabric for the curtains; both are design tasks, but each relies on different skills and techniques and seeks different outcomes. Going back to first principles, as engineers we solve problems. We do that with a logical sequence of steps, executed using specific sets of tools, to create a considered and coherent output. It is these fundamental and universal building blocks - process, tools and data - that will be our guide to finding meaning in digital as structural engineering professionals. There is, of course, a fourth block - the skills to plan, do and deliver outcomes - but we'll return to that later.