After completing his engineering apprenticeship, Ben started out as a Technical Project Supervisor for MTN Ghana. His next role was as Communication Systems Engineer at the UK Ministry of Defence.
In 2011 he joined his current employer, National Grid, firstly as a Power System Engineer and then as an Asset Health and Investment Engineer.
In 2020 Ben added an MSc in Engineering Management from Brunel University London to his impressive array of engineering qualifications. He became a Substation Planning and Performance Manager at the start of 2022, responsible for optimising substation asset maintenance and replacements, large capital scheme works and customer connections.
First volunteer steps
“It was my mentor at National Grid who inspired and encouraged me to become an IET volunteer,” said Ben. “He was a Professional Registration Advisor (PRA) who consistently demonstrated a selfless commitment to helping people (including me) develop their career and achieve professional registration.”
Ben took on his first IET volunteer role in 2019: Industry Representative. “I helped to promote IET membership, services and the benefits of professional registration and continuous professional development to National Grid engineers and technicians. When my mentor retired in 2020, I became Chair of National Grid’s Professional Registration Group (PRG).”
Having received such tremendous PRA support, Ben wanted to reciprocate by following in his mentor’s footsteps. As a PRA, Ben reviews applicants and advises on whether they are ready to apply for professional registration. He shares his expertise on how to present a formal application. He also coaches, mentors and guides applicants who have been asked to submit further evidence to support their application and offers support as needed to those who have been unsuccessful.
Ben really enjoys helping his fellow engineers to develop and progress. He has so far supported more than 50 members to attain various levels of professional registration with the IET. He has also seized every opportunity to hone his skills along the way, particularly listening and communication.
As is the case for many volunteers, time pressures are one of Ben’s greatest challenges: “Combining my full-time job with other volunteering activities is a big ask. I frequently receive requests for PRA support, which I mainly provide during evenings and weekends.”
In 2022 Ben became a member of the IET Registration Group, which has operational responsibility for assessing professional registration applications. Newly gained insights into why some applications are unsuccessful have enhanced the advice and guidance that Ben offers in his PRA role.
Elected Member
Also in 2022, Ben decided to stand for IET Council. He describes the election process as “straightforward”: nominations, speeches, ballot, vote-counting and results announcement. Despite the breadth and depth of his volunteer and professional experience to date, he felt “a bit nervous” about having to talk about himself as a way of reaching out to the electorate.
But he needn’t have worried. Ben was duly elected to Council in October. Excited about his new role, he said: “As a Member of Council, I’m responsible for advising the Board of Trustees about conducting internal affairs. And for monitoring the governance of the IET, to promote a culture of continuous improvement.”
Council Members always join one of our three Main Boards. Ben’s long-standing passion for the professional development of his fellow engineers and technicians meant that his choice of Board was a no-brainer. He’s now an active participant on the 17-strong MPDB, which oversees our portfolio of membership and professional development products and services.
Development journey
Although he had no idea at the time, Ben now realises that his PRA and Industry Representative volunteer roles were preparing him for bigger opportunities. For example, they enabled him to further develop his organisational skills and provided him with invaluable experience in engaging with internal and external stakeholders.
On Council and the MPDB, Ben has already demonstrated that he’s able to work effectively with different personalities on a broad range of topics. But he’s far from complacent: “It’s really exciting to see people from different countries coming together to achieve a common objective. I noticed very early on that the pace can be very fast, so it’s important that I do a lot of preparatory work ahead of meetings.”
Reflecting on his new governance role, Ben said: “I started out as an engineering apprentice and now here I am as a Member of Council and the MPDB, so it all feels a bit surreal. Without a doubt, it’s my biggest achievement as an IET volunteer so far. I am extremely grateful to National Grid, the IET and everyone involved in giving me this incredible opportunity and I fully intend to serve the full three-year term.”
Reaching out
Ben recognises that humanity will be reliant on the engineers of tomorrow to develop solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. And that a concerted effort will therefore be needed to address the urgent need to remedy the global shortage of engineering skills.
Ben believes IET volunteers have an important role to play in helping to address the skills shortage. Not just by encouraging schools to make engineering part of the curriculum, but also by inspiring them to dismantle every barrier to inclusion and diversity in engineering.
He knows what he’s talking about. Coming from an underprivileged background, Ben has had to overcome many significant challenges throughout his life. Volunteering gives him a vital platform from which to share his personal story and experiences: “I hope to inspire, inform and influence people who would love to embark on an engineering journey but have no idea how to take the first step.
“During my tenure, I intend to work collaboratively with the other members of Council and the MPDB to encourage more under-represented people, especially children from diverse backgrounds, to consider engineering and technology as a career choice.”
When asked what advice he would give to other IET volunteers, to help them get maximum satisfaction from their role, Ben replied: “Be open-minded and treat everyone equally and with respect. To make the world a better place to live and work, apply the IET core values – Integrity, Excellence and Teamwork – to everything you do.”