Early careers & the people behind the future of transport

and backgrounds which is why it is an exciting industry to be a part of.

James Hornsby ITS UK Early Careers Director

This technology is being used to simplify and offer new routes to the public, provide users with more information, automate processes, optimise operation, and improve maintenance requirements. This is all while helping to reduce our carbon impact and digitise how we operate and manage transport systems.

With the continual development of this technology, it is important that those working within the industry keep up to date with the skills required to utilise these new ideas and products. Though it’s not just about upskilling those currently working within the industry but also about encouraging new members that can offer a different perspective. The ITS industry is full of people with a variety of skillsets

To help encourage new members we need to continue to show off the amazing work that everyone is doing so that more people can see how important ITS is to people’s daily lives. This would also help those from outside the industry understand how they can utilise their skills. If we are also able to publicise the industry to those studying then it can start the idea of a career in ITS from a young age, allowing them to choose suitable subjects to study and develop the right skillset to kickstart their careers. Creating opportunities for new Early Career members to join the industry is also just as important as publicising it. This can be carried out at various levels through several ways including apprenticeships, T-levels, creating entry level jobs for people wanting to change careers and by ensuring that there are the right academic opportunities for students. Once the opportunities are created there needs to be a clear path for people to develop, which can be carried out through training courses, development plans, chartership and other Continuing Professional Development opportunities. There is no set definition of being an Early Careers member of industry and it is also important to recognise that it isn’t based on age. There could be someone starting an apprenticeship at 18 or someone having a career change in their 50’s. This is one of the reasons behind the rebranding from the Young Professionals to Early Careers Forum in an effort to be all inclusive. No matter who they are, being an Early Careers member is something that should be embraced as it is where you can define

“The plenary conference has been strategic for our Early Careers Forum, with a number of themes coming out of it. With networking and knowledge sharing being at the heart of our forum initiatives, the plenary has opened up a number of avenues for our future activities rejuvenating our mission and vision; particularly strengthening the need for a greater focus on relationships with universities, professional bodies, technical ITS UK member organisations and other ITS UK Forums for greater focus on promoting academic research, CPD/chartership support and technical knowhow (including site-visits) catering to university students, apprentices and early careers members within the industry.”

Ashik Nazar, Early Careers Forum Chair

your career path. To help embrace the opportunity that Early Career members have, those with experience should be sharing their knowledge and mentoring others but there is also a chance for Early Career members to help each other.

“With many of our members having spent the early years of their careers in multiple lockdowns, it is more important than ever to create opportunities for Early Careers Professional to come together to network, share ideas and socialise with other likeminded professionals. Our Forum aims to create an accessible space for these activities and I think it plays an important role in ensuring the long-term future of ITS UK by engaging with members at a key point in their careers.”

Laurence Penn, Early Careers Forum Vice Chair

ITS UK’s Early Career Forum is focused on providing the best for the industry’s Early Career Members and creates a platform for them to be heard, expand their network and develop their knowledge across the various areas of ITS. It is also managed by people with experience of being Early Career members themselves that understand how to maximise the opportunities ahead of them. This is reflected in the Forums mission which aims to educate and inform its members while also being able to showcase their work and track developments within the industry. Hosting events for development and networking is also a key part of the Forum's plans going forward.

To help ensure that the Forum is doing the best for its members, a Plenary session was held back in January which was hosted in Arup’s Solihull office as well as providing a hybrid option to dial in online. The plenary was widely attended with members from a broad range of consultants, local authorities and universities attending both in person and online. The plenary was split into three parts. The first part had presentations on using data to make active travel feel safer, the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle scoring index and an Early Careers perspective on the ITS world congress 2022. Then we heard from the three finalists of the 2022 poster competition and announced the winner. The final part was a discussion and reflection session where we invited the Forum's members to provide feedback on what they want from the Forum in the future and what has previously worked well. This was a valuable session that allowed those in attendance to express their thoughts and ideas which the Forum management team have recorded and are exploring the best ways to implement them.

It is very exciting to be part of the ITS industry and this excitement will only grow with the developments that are being made. I encourage everyone reading this to get involved with the Early Careers Forum, whether you are wanting guidance on where your career can take you or help contribute to developing other. This engagement will only benefit the ITS industry and continue to improve the future of transport.