CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the year 2009

15/10/2009

Baxi Commercial Division is privileged in 2009 to sponsor for the first time the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Award, which was judged on Thursday 15th October at The Institute of Mechanical Engineering Headquarters in Birdcage Walk, London.

The nominees made their presentations to the adjudicating panel that included ASHRAE Past President Richard Rooley, CIBSE President Mike Simpson and ASHRAE President, Gordon Holness, who presented the Award to the winner, Emma Marshall from Northumbria University and RPS Gregory.

Entry, open to anyone graduating in 2008 or 2009 from a course associated with the activities of the CIBSE ASHRAE Group, celebrates the best of the graduates proposed by their colleges or employers.

Now in its 14th year, this prestigious event rewards the winner with a trip to the winter ASHRAE meeting in the USA, this time in Orlando.

Paul Hardy, Managing Director of Baxi Commercial Division, contends, "There has never been a more important time in the history of our industry to recognise the achievements of our young building services engineers. We are on the brink of momentous change which has already begun to manifest itself and will have an even greater impact in the future. Environmental issues driving legislation present the most immediate challenge, such as the EuP Directive that comes into force in 2011. I believe our young engineers are a great source of inspiration and will take a leading role in facing these challenges.

Manufacturers, such as Baxi, need to work more closely with CIBSE and its future engineers to ensure our industry is best placed to deliver the solutions to meet ever more stringent legislation."

The Baxi Commercial Division brands, Andrews Water Heaters and Potterton Commercial, have given CIBSE their fullest support over many years, sponsoring various initiatives including in 2008 the launch event of the CIBSE Young Engineers Network (YEN). This involvement began via an Area Sales Manager based in the East Midlands, where the movement started, before rapidly spreading nationally and overseas, as far afield as Hong Kong and Australia. The network of centres was formed with a mission to address the issues and hurdles faced by young CIBSE engineers whilst promoting the profession and encouraging young engineers into a long term
career in Building Services Engineering.

Yan Evans, Technical Director and himself a member of CIBSE, is another voice at Baxi Commercial Division who encourages and actively supports CIBSE YEN aims and objectives. Yan says, "We share the CIBSE YEN vision of providing a platform for new thinking, novel approaches to design and knowledge exchange, which coincides exactly with our ethos. As an industry, we need to give young engineers the opportunity to engage more closely with our professional institution at an early stage, with a view to guiding them towards a career in building services.

Earlier this year Baxi Commercial Division sponsored the first CIBSE YEN Champions Award in partnership with the Arkwright Scholarships Trust.