Canadian Federation of Engineering Students

So, you’re involved with the UW Engineering Society and want to know if there’s more out there.  The Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES) is a national, bilingual organization that represents approximately 60,000 engineering students across Canada.  The organization is run completely by student volunteers (keep reading if you want to take on a position!), and offers services/events such as leadership development conferences and engineering competitions.  Below are two events that you will not want to miss!

CFES CONGRESS 2011 St. John’s, NL, January 2 – 7, 2011!

All CFES positions are filled at Congress, the week-long annual general meeting of the CFES, which takes place in the beginning of January.  In addition to governance of the Federation, Congress is an excellent opportunity for inter-university student networking and to meet industry contacts.  In addition, students learn how to improve their own school/engineering society through knowledge and experience sharing.  This year, Congress will be held from January 2 – 7, 2011 in St. John’s, Newfoundland.  To go to Congress, you must submit an application to the UW Engineering Society; for more information, be sure to be on the UW Engineering Society mailing list and talk to your Vice-President External for more details on being selected and funding.

Being a CFES Officer is an experience; it means you get to travel from coast to coast to conferences and meetings; for the International Relations Commissioner, it means traveling around the world to fulfill your mandates.  To offset the costs of travel, the Dean of Engineering usually provides funding to students that represent our school.  Every position on the CFES and the work that comes with it play an important role for the sustainability of the organization.  In turn, you gain professional development the practical way – by working through real-life situations, and not by writing essays.

To attend Congress 2011, talk to your VP External for more details and application deadline.  If you are considering becoming a CFES Officer, be sure to visit the CFES website (www.cfes.ca) to understand the position you want to take on.  If you have questions regarding the work, it might also be helpful to contact the person currently holding the position.  Hope to see you at Congress 2011 in St. John’s!

2011 CANADIAN ENGINEERING COMPETITION Montréal, QC, March 10 – 13, 2011

Canadian Engineering Competition, another event hosted by the CFES, brings together the best and the most talented students from across the country.  The competition provides a unique opportunity for students, industry representatives and academics to connect in a professional, competitive and a social environment.  Winning teams earn up to $4,000, and are often offered employer job offers or graduate school scholarships.

Think you got what it takes?  Start by competing in the Waterloo Engineering Competition:  wec.uwaterloo.ca and sign your team up for a competition category!