Young Professionals

The British Dam Society (BDS) has identified its members under the age of 35, creating a group known as the Young Professionals (YP). This group, although part of the wider BDS, has been set up to ensure the continuation of interest in the industry by young professionals.

The BDS YP group has been formulated with the goal of supporting the wider BDS. Seven key aims to achieve this are as follows:

1. Increase the BDS membership base of under 35s.
2. Increase networking opportunities for young engineers within the BDS.
3. Provide workshops for professional development.
4. Provide a mentoring scheme and professional development advice.
5. Assist BDS initiatives in schools, colleges, and universities.
6. Organise social evenings and events.
7. Liaise with other Young Engineers Forums in the ICOLD community to share ideas.

The group’s overall aims are to provide a vibrant knowledge sharing environment where young professionals with an interest in dam safety can freely share ideas and improve understanding of the industry.  This will extend beyond the society itself to younger generations, promoting the industry and ensuring the resilience of British dam safety into the future.

The BDS YP group is supported by a subcommittee that consists of:

• BDS-YP Chair - elected for two years (and is the YP Representative on the main committee)
• BDS-YP Mentoring Champion - elected for two years
• BDS-YP Events Champion- elected for two years
• BDS-YP Social Media - elected for two years