Show Notes
Leaving Certificate students have an exciting opportunity to explore the diverse realities of an engineering career and discover practical strategies for success as they fill out their upcoming CAO forms. Ena O'Driscoll, Mechanical Engineering student at MTU Cork and Student Ambassador at PM Group, alongside Sean Ryan, Automation Engineering student at SETU and Student Engineer at Jabil, share their university experiences with host Dusty Rhodes. Early STEM encouragement, fostered through school programs and family ties, significantly influences career choices. The discussion highlights the importance of paid internships for developing real-world problem-solving skills and building an invaluable CV. Finally, it offers practical advice for creating standout applications by emphasizing leadership roles, volunteering, and project work, while also stressing the need to balance academic demands with societal involvement through networking and mentorship via groups like the Engineers Ireland Young Engineers Society. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Engineering career choice STEM encouragement Paid internships practical experience benefits CV building leadership & volunteering standout Time management balancing studies & activities CAO strategy Level 7 & Level 8 options GUEST DETAILS Ena O'Driscoll is a Mechanical Engineering Student at Munster Technological University (MTU) Cork. Ena is an excellent example of maximising university studies by actively engaging with industry. She gained valuable professional experience through an internship and placement with PM Group, a leading international project delivery firm. Following her successful placement, Ena has continued her association with the company and the wider engineering community by serving as a Student Ambassador at PM Group, demonstrating a strong commitment to promoting engineering and bridging the gap between academia and professional life. Sean Ryan is an Automation Engineering Student at South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford. Sean is currently applying his technical expertise as a Student Engineer at Jabil, a global manufacturing services company. He possesses a strong academic background complemented by valuable practical experience, including previous work as a controls engineer at Integer. Sean is highly engaged within his university community, having served as a peer-to-peer mentor and senior mentor to support first-year engineering students. Sean is also Chairperson of the Young engineer society south east. Hailing from a farming background, Sean brings a unique perspective to problem-solving and engineering challenges. Outside of his studies and work, Sean is an active rugby player for both his college team and a local club. Connect with AMPLIFIED Website: engineersireland.ie Search podcast player: "AMPLIFIED" or "Engineers Ireland" Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever you get podcasts MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES My secondary school was actually really good in terms of promoting STEM. Every couple of weeks we'd have different people come in and talk about different areas - Ena O'Driscoll I'm on currently working as a controls and automation engineer student for Jabil healthcare, which is ideal because it's only two minutes walk from my college and I'm able to go in there part time and the hours are flexible which is amazing - Sean Ryan We were given real work to work on from day one. It started with helping other engineers, carried out a study. We were able to find that quadrant that was the problem and implement that change.- Sean Ryan I've always enjoyed Maths, Physics, anything problem solving wise. I've always wanted to be an engineer since probably around 14. I interviewed one of
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Managing modern port infrastructure requires balancing complex marine engineering, environmental compliance, and round-the-clock commercial shipping operations. Expanding berthing capacity while protecting delicate marine ecosystems presents constant technical challenges for engineering leaders. Overcoming these operational obstacles demands innovative capital dredging strategies, advanced acoustic monitoring, and deep historical knowledge of coastal dynamics. Port engineering teams must guarantee vessel safety while deploying cutting-edge marine equipment in busy fairways. Host Dusty Rhodes sits down with Eamon McElroy, Port Engineer at Dublin Port. With nearly two decades of experience overseeing marine infrastructure, dredging projects, and environmental conservation, Eamon shares invaluable practical insights into managing one of the busiest maritime hubs in Europe. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Scope and scale of maritime trade through Dublin Port Historical engineering behind the South and North Bull Walls Capital dredging protocols and managing marine environmental compliance Operational deployment of the Magnor backhoe dredger Practical advice for civil engineers building impactful careers GUEST DETAILS Eamon McElroy is the Port Engineer at Dublin Port, where he has led marine infrastructure maintenance, environmental conservation programmes, and major capital dredging projects for nearly twenty years. He holds an honours degree in civil engineering from the University of Dundee and oversees critical environmental initiatives, including tern and black guillemot conservation plans in Dublin Bay. MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Ireland Amplified is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES I tell people to understand the size and scope of Dublin Port, go into any shop in Ireland, and left three different items that have been imported. Two of those items came through Dublin Port to give you the scale. - Eamon McElroy And what we say in Dublin Port is we guarantee at least one metre of water under the keel. - Eamon McElroy The key word for dredging is production. You don't stop a dredger; you just do not. - Eamon McElroy KEYWORDS #MarineEngineering#DublinPort#CapitalDredgingOperations#World'sLargestBackhoeDredger #CivilEngineeringProblemSolving
Technical prowess no longer guarantees a successful career in modern engineering. While a strong degree builds the foundation, the ability to translate complex solutions into customer value defines the true leaders of the industry. This shift requires professionals to master interpersonal skills and strategic thinking to navigate global operations successfully. Shane Callanan, Vice President of Medical at Advanced Energy, joins the platform to share his transition from a technical contributor to a global leader. With three decades of experience in power conversion, Shane details how to maintain high standards across international teams and why trust serves as the bedrock of successful remote management. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Why technical skills alone are no longer enough. Building a marketing-led engineering culture. Managing global engineering teams via trust. Mentorship as a tool for talent retention. The next generation of engineering skill sets. GUEST DETAILS Shane Callanan is Vice President of Medical at Advanced Energy. Operating from the company's base in Cork, Shane leads high-performing engineering teams across international jurisdictions, including Minnesota, Mexico, and newly established operations in the Philippines. He is a seasoned senior leader who balances complex global engineering operations with a deep passion for mentoring graduate engineers and interns, driving both technical excellence and talent retention across the industry. Connect with Shane: Website: https://www.advancedenergy.com Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-callanan-49a45a15/ MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Ireland Amplified is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES Just being a strong engineer is not good enough anymore. - Shane Callanan If you want to go into growth, you have to actually move towards a marketing-led organisation. - Shane Callanan Hire people that you trust, and there's very few people in our organisation that need to be managed in a traditional way. - Shane Callanan KEYWORDS #EngineeringLeadershipCommunication#GlobalEngineeringTeams #EngineeringCareerProgression#EngineeringMentorshipFrameworks
Engineering culture remains trapped in outdated norms, risking the mental health and retention of top talent. Relying on diversity metrics alone fails to solve the underlying problem of workplace culture. True success requires moving beyond surface-level attraction to fostering genuine inclusion and psychological safety. This shift is not just an ethical imperative; it is essential for team performance, innovation, and industry wellbeing. Joining us to dissect how firms can build these inclusive cultures are ESB civil engineer Tymora Freeman-Stannett and OutEngineered representative Poggy Murray Whitham. They share practical insights on how to transition from empty policies to meaningful everyday changes that ensure every professional feels seen, heard, and valued. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Why traditional lad culture alienates LGBTQ+ professionals Distinguishing tokenistic diversity from genuine inclusion Connecting psychological safety to industry mental health Real world impact of external political pressures on DEI Simple everyday actions for effective allyship GUESTS DETAILS Tymora Freeman-Stannett Tymora Freeman-Stannett is a civil engineer at ESB, where she actively manages the construction of utility-scale solar farms powering Ireland's green transition. Throughout her career, Tymora has been out and proud, serving as an active advocate within ESB’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. Outside of hard hats and site plans, she is the Chair of the Irish Games Association, championing safe, inclusive, and accessible community spaces. Connect with Tymora : linkedin.com/in/tymora-freeman-stannett Poggy Murray Whitham Poggy Murray Whitham is a prominent member and representative of OutEngineered, an organisation dedicated to connecting, supporting, and elevating LGBTQ+ professionals and allies across the engineering and tech sectors. Poggy's work centers on breaking down systemic industry barriers, driving corporate representation, and building active networks that ensure engineering offices and physical construction sites alike are welcoming environments for all. Connect with Poggy: linkedin.com/in/poggy-murray-whitham LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/munya-bakasa (Senior Engineer, PUNCH Consulting Engineers) MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal Amplified is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES Diversity without inclusion just leads to tokenism. Inclusion breeds diversity. - Poggy Murray Whitham You feel like you've come into a truth as opposed to a facade. - Tymora Freeman-Stannett Inclusion is making sure that all of those people are heard, are seen, and genuinely have a voice within the organisation. - Poggy Murray Whitham Part of allyship is opening your mind to that. You can ask the questions, but understand someone might not be prepared to give you the answer. So you have to do the work yourself. - Tymora Freeman-Stannett KEYWORDS: #LGBTQinEngineering#InclusiveEngineering#EngineeringCulture#Allyship#EngineeringWellbeing
Professional engineers often face the constraint of being pigeonholed into specific roles based on demographic factors, yet the most successful teams are those that dismantle these barriers. When engineering is embraced as a truly gender-neutral career, it unlocks a powerful diversity of thought that drives innovation and superior project outcomes. Engineering problem solving requires a blend of scientific rigour and creative thinking to deliver impactful results. We explore how to break free from professional boxes, manage complex large-scale infrastructure projects, and incorporate social value into procurement.
Talented engineers often fear that moving abroad means sacrificing hard-earned professional momentum. This mindset overlooks the reality that an engineering qualification is a borderless passport for innovation and personal growth. In this episode of our Global Engineers mini-series, we explore how top international talent selects Ireland as their professional base, bringing fresh perspectives that drive the industry forward. We discuss how firms successfully integrate these new approaches, the cultural nuances of Irish engineering, and the actionable advice that will empower you to build a thriving career overseas. Our guests are Munya Bakasa, a South African senior structural engineer spearheading major consulting projects, and Krystyna Dimtchev, a Polish project manager and chair of the Women in Engineering Society. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Choosing to base careers in Ireland Challenges of technical language barriers Irish culture of collaboration and trust Managing complex structural engineering projects Advice for engineers moving abroad GUESTS DETAILS Krystyna Dimtchev is an Associate Programme Manager at Arcadis and the current Chair of the Engineers Ireland Women in Engineering Society. Originally from Poland, she is an IPMA Certified Senior Project Manager with extensive experience in environmental engineering and building services. She is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and mentoring the next generation of engineers. Connect with Krystyna : LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/krystyna-dimtchev (Associate Programme Manager, Arcadis & Chair of the Women in Engineering Society) Munya Bakasa is a Senior Engineer at PUNCH Consulting Engineers. Originally from South Africa, he is a key lead on major infrastructural developments. He brings structural and civil engineering expertise to the Irish market and is a strong advocate for active travel infrastructure. Connect with Munya: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/munya-bakasa (Senior Engineer, PUNCH Consulting Engineers) MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal Amplified is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES One of the biggest differences I have experienced in Ireland is the emphasis on the collaboration of openness and trust. - Krystyna Dimtchev You strike a better work-life balance in the local environment, as opposed to back home. - Munya Bakasa I've learned from them, it's not if you have the book, you have the equations, you have the calculations, but just to understand makes you a true engineer. - Krystyna Dimtchev Your perspective, both professionally and personally, is broadened beyond what you expect. - Munya Bakasa KEYWORDS: #GlobalEngineering #IrishCareer #EngineeringAbroad #CareerGrowth #InternationalEngineer