b'Member News November 2022 15The future of engineering and technologyThe skys the limit for Rob Allison MIET From not being your typical academic student to workingas a Systems Design Engineer at MBDA, Rob Allison MIET has skyrocketed his career in aerospace engineering andis a leader for young professionals in the industry. Rob Allison MIET, far left, Systems Design Engineer at MBDA and Chair of the Aerospace YP groupNeeding to develop his soft skills for hisNow, he is Chair of the Aerospaceand social events are a big part of this CV, Rob was on the hunt for volunteeringYP group and represents the IETs YPendeavourhence so is the IET and its opportunities, and in 2016 he attended thedemographic within the aerospacevolunteers. IETs Robots in Space event at IET London:sector. We sit alongside the AerospaceBut Rob wasnt your typical academic Savoy Place.TN and have a 10-strong committee ofat college, finding it hard to maintain amazing volunteers. Weve run many events over the years including careerfocus during his A Levels. I excelled in networking events, technical events andelectronics and realised that a mixture As a second-year engineeringmost recently, we hosted IET Immediateof theory and practice was best for me, student I didnt really knowPast President, Sir Julian Young, as partso I researched degrees which would who the IET were or whatof our Spotlight on Apprentices event.exploit this approach and ended up I also sit on the fantastically active YPdoing aerospace engineering. Despite they did. But the event wasCommittee as the Technical Networkthe challenging content, I found myself amazing and the IET seemedRepresentative, ensuring that YPsperforming much better academically and like a cool place, so I hungwithin TNs are well represented andenjoying the coursehighlighting how that our demographic know TNs are aimportant environment can be. I graduated around and got speaking to thevolunteering opportunity for them. with a first and a host of extra-curriculars Aerospace Young Professionalunder my belt, so perseverance is key! From hosting events with three speakers (YP) Chair. I expressed myand a load of pizzas to students to helpingNow with a global network of fellow interest in volunteering andput together the IETs Global Sustainabilityengineers and technicians, and a new before I knew it I was on theHackathon, he is a true champion ofrole as Systems Domain Lead for Platform engineering to the younger generation.Integration at MBDA, Rob has proved that committee and organisingEngineers and technicians work in sothe skys the limit when you find a career the careers event for themany different roles and industries you love and an institution with plenty of Aerospace Technical Networkversatility is one of our strengths. Its soopportunities. My career goal is to reach a important to ensure young (and moreposition where I can influence technology (TN) YPs at my universitythemature) members of the profession seeand business strategy within the industry. University of Hertfordshire. the achievements of their peers andTo help me achieve this, I hope to gain an the opportunities a technical career canMBA to complement my engineering skills, provide. Events, competitions, lecturesand of course, become an IET Fellow.'