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Ash Charles on the IEC Young Professionals programme

Engineer Ash Charles introduces us to the IEC Young Professionals programme that provides an opportunity to be immersed in the world of the International Electrotechnical Commission and get involved in standards development.

Ash Charles, IEC YP recipient 2024

Introducing the IEC Young Professionals programme

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) runs an annual global IEC Young Professionals (IEC YP) programme to support succession and involvement of electrotechnical engineers shaping tomorrow’s standards. Up to two persons from each of the 89 member countries are chosen, and the application process can be vigorous and highly competitive. Successful applicants are invited to attend week-long workshops and sessions at the IEC general assembly which in 2024 was in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2025, the general assembly will take place in New Delhi, India in September. Costs for accommodation and food are covered by the IEC for participating young professionals in their early 20s to mid-30s. Travel costs are most often picked up by the employer of the attending young professional.

Represent New Zealand and your organisation

Launched internationally in 2010, New Zealand has seen over 20 young professionals take part in the IEC YP Program. At this crucial time in their careers, they get this amazing opportunity to build a professional international network of like-minded peers in similar fields of expertise, learn about standardisation and conformity assessment work being done by the IEC, and gain exposure to new ideas and unique perspectives.

2024 saw two applicants head off to Edinburgh, Scotland with IEC New Zealand National Committee President Peter Berry. Auckland-based electrical engineer Ash Charles brings a fresh perspective and shares with us her background and experiences as an IEC YP.

Meet Ash Charles, 2024 IEC YP

A former Westlake Girls, University of Auckland and Massey University student and of Muriwhenua descent, Ash knew at a young age she didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all the time but wanted to do something that helped people and the environment and initially entered the University of Auckland with hopes of becoming an environmental engineer specialising in water. However, it just couldn’t compete with the excitement and interest in other aspects of engineering - particularly robotics and electricity and pursued her degree in the field of electrical and electronic engineering; eventually leading to her current role as a Senior Electrical Engineer with Cosgroves Ltd developing electrical and lighting designs for buildings and infrastructure.

First introduction to standards

Ash says that ‘completing studies at university can give young people their first exposure to standards and our university had access to the standards database. However, it was more around ISO and the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) than IEC. Fortunately, one lecturer specialising in lighting design at Massey University, Susan Mander, had been heavily involved with the IEC and encouraged me to apply for the IEC YP programme which I had never heard of before.’

‘Since electrical engineering is so highly regulated, we use a lot of standards to adhere to the Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010. IEC standards, along with joint AS/NZS standards play a huge role but the IEC YP programme helped us understand the range and depth of standards better and have an appreciation for them, their purpose and how you go about reading and interpreting what is in a standard. A lot of what we did during the fantastic week in Edinburgh was understanding the IEC as an organisation and how they function.

'We take standards for granted and all the hours of voluntary technical knowledge that’s gone into them. So, the programme helps develop standards champions and it’s given me a real interest in getting involved in making standards that I probably didn’t have before. Sometimes you look at standards and question why things are done a particular way, so you realise that getting involved allows you to share your perspective and provide input that matters on a global scale.’

The programme

‘We had a full-on week at the AGM in Edinburgh. You’re networking with other young engineers from across the world so it’s a very diverse crowd with multi-faceted perspectives that are much needed for shaping our future.  It really helps you step outside of your bubble, especially for New Zealanders where we have such a small degree of separation.’

Throughout the week, the IEC YPs are divided into different working groups to complete various activities. One task was to develop a ‘standard in a day’ for a hypothetical robot product, which gave a glimpse into the standards development process and steps required.

‘We had to consider a title that was clear to end users, including those for whom English is a second language, recognise relevant patents while not limiting use by other manufacturers, and cover all aspects of its use. The session encouraged us to ask questions – why have the standard, who will use it, what are their needs, what are the market tensions, what are the risks for the proposed applications and what conformity assessment should be used to cover the risks? The exercise really helped us understand how standards come to life and the important role they play globally.’

Another task had the cohort develop a campaign around making the IEC brand recognisable, looking at the personal association and how IEC brand makes you feel, strategic direction and the vision and actions required to get the IEC where it needs to go in the future.

A further activity focused on how users find relevant standards using advanced filtering and intelligent recommendations which need to integrate with third party software and plugins and allow for personalisation.

‘It was really eye-opening to look at standards through the lens of a user and how standards providers might improve the user experience,’ says Ash.

Advice for other young people and experienced committee members

‘Since going to the workshops, I’ve been a lot more conscious of committee opportunities promoted through nominating organisations like Engineering NZ, who can endorse an application. But there’s sometimes an expectation that you’ve been on a technical committee before. For those who are new to standards development it helps to gain some observation experience first and understand how it all works.

You might see an opportunity come up and wonder how you and your level of experience can help or contribute to this standard. For those on committees I would encourage you to include a junior alongside the work you are doing. Make an informal space or role for them to be involved and learn. For young people I would encourage you to apply to the IEC YP programme.'

Ash encourages businesses to support employees who contribute to standards development. ‘There are benefits in giving employees time to attend committee meetings and events. You’re investing in your staff member’s professional development, help them gain access to the latest industry thinking and can use them as an ambassador to get your company name out there. We need New Zealand’s voice in international standards, even if, or especially if, you are a small New Zealand manufacturer.’

Information on the IEC Young Professionals programme 2025 will be available soon. If you wish to explore opportunities to observe international standards development, you can join a committee as an observer - find more information here:

Standards development committee opportunities