b'14 Member News November 2022The future of engineering and technologyFutures Fund Tom Maidment CEng MIET is relishingable to follow it all the way from concept to the his latest role, responsible for buildingfactory launch. I was given a global net zero strategy for one ofquite a lot of responsibility the UKs largest food businesses. at a young age.Sustainability is important Ten years ago this jobto Tom and on completion did not exist, he said.of his graduate scheme, The irony is that I grewWhat the scholarshiphe became a Technical up in the countrysideAnalyst working on building Tom Maidment CEng MIET did was give me time.a corporate sustainability Diamond Jubilee Scholarship 2013-2017 surrounded by farmsplan at JLR, coming up and I wanted to getWithout it, I would with solutions on how to away from that world.have had to workdecarbonise an industry with If youd asked me then,during the year, buta heavy carbon footprint. I would have said that agricultural engineeringinstead I was able toNow as Group Product was fixing tractors, butspend time focussingSustainability Senior this is a very differentManager at the Hilton Food BEING AN ENGINEER kind of engineering. on work and applyingGroup, Toms challenge WAS SOMETHING THAT Ten years ago Tom wasfor internships. is to build a net zero strategy at a global level. I WANTED TO BE FOR still at school. I happened to take the right AI must have appliedI can save even more QUITE A LONG TIME Levels for engineeringfor about 10 differentcarbon working with the WITHOUT KNOWING and also applied for aninternships, and I was ableland sector than I can within IET Diamond Jubileeto use the funding fromthe automotive industry and THAT THIS IS WHAT Scholarship, though Ithat excites me. I am still an the scholarship to travelengineerpossibly the only IT WAS CALLED. wasnt sure I would getto assessment centres. IChartered Engineer (CEng) the grades required. secured an internship within the Hilton Food Group.Tom was offered a placeJaguar Land Rover (JLR) to study for an MEng inthat first summer of myTom achieved his CEng with automotive engineeringcourse and was invitedthe IET with the support with sustainability at theback every summer beforeof JLR. His next step is University of Warwick.being offered a graduateto become a Chartered He was also awardedengineer roleI had theEnvironmentalist.a Diamond Jubileebest job in the world. Sustainability is increasingly Scholarship. At the time,Toms summer internshipsimportant. It has gone the scholarship waswith the car companyfrom being a tick box to 1,000 a year for upincluded designing doorthe core of the business. to four years on an IETcladding and the roof ofThe scholarship helped accredited degree course. a new electric car. I wasme make a difference.The IET Futures Fund raises money to support the next generation of engineers, to find solutions to our most pressing problems.Our programmesFIRST LEGO League, Faraday Challenge Days and the Future Talent Awards (formerly Diamond Jubilee Scholarships and Engineering Horizons Bursaries)offer vivid STEM experiences to children from the age of four and valued support to apprentices and undergraduates like Tom.Your supportas a company or as an individualcan make a difference. Contact: development@theiet.org or visit: theiet.org/futuresfund'