About the Hereford & Worcester Network

I joined the IET at the start of my career; I had just graduated and was learning how to become a Distribution Engineer at Midlands Electricity (now part of Western Power) when one of my friends recommended that I get involved to help him out.

At first I was sceptical… I was busy at work, had an active social life and I was unsure how attending events in the evening would help me. However over the following months, I recognised that this group could challenge me, improve me as a person and that I could make a difference to them too. It wasn’t just about a few interesting talks and the refreshments(!), it became about the people I would meet, the impact that they could have and how I could also help them.

As my career has developed, I am increasingly aware of the value of having a strong network; people from diverse backgrounds, with varying specialist skills and personal attributes that all do one thing – help make me better! For me, the IET is a key part of that network and has been a great enabler.

I joined the IET for practical and selfish reasons - I wanted to achieve my Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. However, I have found that the intangible benefits of business contacts, relationships and continuous professional development well worthwhile. This has been especially the case since I recently joined a smaller business where there are less resources to help develop Engineers.

I can genuinely say that volunteering is one of the many beneficial things I've done in my life. It is rewarding and gives me a chance to promote what I strongly believe - that science, engineering and technology are central to the success of our society. ‘Life’ just wouldn't work without us and our contribution deserves to be recognised more than it is – something that only we can do something about.

So why don't you become involved? We are always looking for keen individuals to join our team and help promote our profession. We’d like your help with promoting science, engineering and technology and to help us organise the events that you would like to attend. We’d love you to help us to reach out to more small business in our area and to help them exploit technology and local expertise. We're seeking your new ideas and new ways of meeting our objectives.

If you are interested, please contact the IET Hereford and Worcester team (HonSecH&W@theiet.org) and come along and see what we do. You will be most welcome and you never know just how much we can help you!

Kind regards,

Ian R Graves BEng (Hons) FIET CEng FIMechE
Chairman, IET Hereford and Worcester Network