OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2019 - 38

STUDENTS

Update on OSPE's

Exchange Hubs
located across Ontario to
engage the engineering
community in advocacy

I

n September of 2019, OSPE launched Exchange Hubs across
Ontario as part of a pilot project:
1) Guelph, in partnership with University of Guelph
2) Hamilton, in partnership with McMaster University
3) Kingston, in partnership with Queen's University
4) Toronto, in partnership with Ryerson University
5) Windsor, in partnership with University of Windsor
Exchange Hubs allow engineering students, graduates,
and professional engineers to act as 'Hub Ambassadors.' As
a Hub Ambassador, participants may host events in their
own communities by working with OSPE's staff, advocacy
Committees and Task Forces.
Since launching, OSPE has received numerous applications
from engineering students from a variety of disciplines, as well
as engineering graduates working and living in each of these
communities.
All Hub Ambassadors went through a formal orientation
and onboarding process while OSPE visited campuses across
Ontario to participate in orientation week activities, including
engineering student conferences.
In September, OSPE joined Professional Engineers Ontario
(PEO) at their annual Student Conference in Ottawa, to provide
knowledge and resources to upper year engineering students
from 17 different schools around the province who were looking
to gain insight into the current labour market.
This year, OSPE also became the official partner of the
Engineering Student Societies' Council of Ontario (ESSCO)'s
First Year Integration Conference held November 15-17, 2019
in Toronto. The conference brought together 100 emerging
student leaders from all over Ontario and introduced them to
the world of engineering student societies. They were given the
chance to network and participate in meaningful discussions
around what it means to be a leader today. They also learned
fundamental skills regarding how they can develop as leaders
in their respective schools and engineering communities.
This year OSPE's President, Dr. Tibor Turi, Ph.D., P.Eng., also

38

THE VOICE

Winter 2020

joined the students at the First Year Integration Conference,
and delivered a presentation on how OSPE can help students
further themselves in their academic and professional careers.
As the Hub Ambassadors continue to meet each month
and develop their initiatives, they will be choosing a public
engagement method to involve their communities in advocacy
for the engineering profession in the new year. The Toronto
Hub in partnership with Ryerson University is planning on
joining forces with OSPE's Research and Innovation Task Force
to host an event around aerospace engineering early next year,
for example.
From hosting panel discussions and speaker series, the
Hub Ambassadors are well prepared to tackle the engineering
problems of tomorrow, today. To learn more about the OSPE
Exchange Hubs and how you can get involved, please visit
www.ospe.on.ca/exchange-hubs.
http://www.ospe.on.ca/exchange-hubs
OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2019

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