News of the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute's Young Professionals in South Australia

 News of the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute's Young Professionals in South Australia (SSSI YP SA)

By

Duane Van Schoonhoven

The Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute's Young Professionals in South Australia (SSSI YP SA) is a professional group made up of a variety of people from South Australia who have an interest in the disciplines and industries related to surveying and the spatial sciences. These people can be tertiary students, recent graduates and people who are working in the surveying and spatial sciences industry. The SSSI YP SA also includes older people who are 'new' the industry, have a young attitude and encourages them to participate in Young Professionals events.

The purpose of the SSSI YP SA is to promote leadership development for new surveying and spatial sciences professionals, provide the delivery of services to them and address any issues they may face in their work with a mentoring programme that provides a point of contact for giving direction or answering questions they may come across in their work. Services provided include conducting networking events, giving career advice, offering education and information and awarding recognition and representation to members; including supporting members in remote areas.

Part of the mission of the SSSI Young Professionals is to provide leadership development for its members in a way that is instructive, entertaining and fun. The SSSI YP SA accomplishes this by organising and running events throughout the year to network with members and to promote the values of the SSSI. For 2012, the SSSI YP SA has held an evening of presentations and networking at the University of Adelaide (March) and hosted an inaugural Young Professionals breakfast (May). Also, the SSSI YP SA have organised a site visit of the Bureau of Meteorology (June) for a 'Spatial in Weather Maps' tour of the facility at Kent Town, SA and an after work ‘Golf, Drink and Nibbles’ night (June) at The Tap Inn in Kent Town, SA.

Other events planned for later in the year include ‘Spatial Futures’ during the Spatial Information Day (SID) 2012 (3 August), a Billiards and Beverages event (August), a Young Professionals speed-networking event with industry leaders (September), an evening at the Adelaide Planetarium (October), ‘Getting a Spatial Job in the Spatial Industry’ event (November) and another YP Breakfast (December).

These events are a great way for SSSI members to have an opportunity to network and socialise with each other and the SSSI YP SA would like to encourage members (and non-members) to attend these events. Several of these events also include points for attending which count towards the SSSI Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program.

More details about each SSSI YP SA event will be available on the SSSI Events web page closer to the event dates. See: http://www.sssi.org.au//Events/2/calender-view.html

In addition, timely reminders of these events are also on the ‘SSSI Young Professionals in South Australia (SSSI YP SA)’ facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SSSI-Young-Professionals-in-South-Australia-SSSI-YP-SA/111845836762

For SSSI members that are interested in becoming involved with the Young Professionals please email the Young Professionals National Chair at chair.yp@sssi.org.au for information of the relevant YP group for your region.