Young visionary leads APETT into new era

Bavina Sookdeo

Lendel Bethelmy, at just 36, is set to become the youngest president in the history of the Association of Professional Engineers of TT (APETT) in March 2025.

With over 15 years of experience in the construction industry and a decade in engineering, he is also a structural engineer at Beston Consulting Ltd and a part-time lecturer at UWI.

APETT is a society of professional engineers dedicated to the development of engineers and the engineering profession. The association promotes the highest standards of professional practice and stimulates awareness of technology and the role of the engineer in society.

Bethelmy explained that he was led to engineering by his natural affinity for maths and physics.

"For me, it wasn’t really a choice, but more of how the world lined up," he said.

From an early age, Bethelmy excelled in these subjects, placing first in the Caribbean in maths at CXC.

This early success set him on a path towards engineering, with a particular interest in civil engineering, sparked by his exposure to construction projects at home.

As for his decision to take on the role of president-elect, he said this was fuelled by his desire to address the lack of career guidance and mentorship he observed in the engineering community.

"What first enthused me was understanding what APETT stands for and why it was set out," he said.

Bethelmy aims to use his tenure to enhance APETT's mentorship programmes and career guidance initiatives, particularly targeting secondary and tertiary students to help them understand the opportunities available on their chosen career path.

"As professionals, we lack mentorship as well. After you get your degree and you leave university, there are a lot of people who get thrown into the deep and just exist until it either makes you or breaks you.

"I saw that through APETT, I can assist people through mentorship."

One of Bethelmy’s main goals is to increase APETT's social footprint and establish it as the go-to organisation for engineering-related issues.

"Right now, we do not have the social footprint that would make us the go-to organisation whenever there is a problem."

Bethelmy envisions a future where APETT plays a central role in disseminating accurate information and providing career and networking opportunities for engineers.

He also aims to address internal issues: "An internal challenge that we need to formally address is that we do not have succession processes for vice presidents and other positions," he explained.

Externally, he highlighted the significant impact of politics on engineering work, particularly in government-controlled infrastructure projects.

"For example," he pointed out, "we shut down construction during the covid19 pandemic and so too was engineering.

"The major client is the government so if they decide they are not doing any infrastructure work, then engineers do not have work. There are smaller projects, but major projects are generally controlled by government and most times, there is no requirement for a government official to be an engineer.

"At that point, there is not much APETT can do to provide career opportunities for individuals."

Another issue Bethelmy hopes to address is the tendency of engineers to be inherently introverted, often refraining from public commentary. As a result, public discussions on engineering topics frequently feature opinions from laypeople or those without proper training, leading to the spread of misinformation, particularly on social media.

Bethelmy is actively working to combat this by ensuring that APETT becomes the authoritative voice on engineering matters. He stressed that the public should rely on statements and information from APETT-affiliated professionals to ensure accuracy and credibility.

Bethelmy recognises the importance of a strong educational foundation for future engineers. Asked his thoughts on local engineering programmes, he praised the civil engineering programmes at UWI and UTT for producing well-rounded graduates.

He pointed out that APETT collaborates with educational institutions through industrial liaison committees and mentorship programmes for final-year students.

To upcoming engineers, he said, "If you go through the programme properly and you go through the way you should, you can come out here in a reasonable position to practise and to align yourself with a proper firm where you are mentored and you get to develop further."

Bethelmy is also committed to showcasing local engineering projects and technological advancements.

He cited as an example the recent technical conference organised by APETT , where the theme was Sustainability and Advancement in Technology.

"We showcased a lot of the local projects that are being done and technologies that are being used, inclusive of AI."

Bethelmy believes greater visibility and public awareness of such initiatives are crucial.

As for where he sees APETT and the engineering profession in TT in the next decade, he he envisions the association becoming the central hub for engineering professionals and a trusted source of information for the public.

"We need to become the point of contact both internally and externally," he said.

His dream is for the engineering profession in TT to provide ample career opportunities for graduates and for APETT to be integral in this process.

So how does he feel being the youngest president-elect?

"No pressure at all," he laughed. "It is not something I feel intimidated by because it is my nature and I am already directly involved in many aspects.

"I just happen to be young. but I am not doing it because I am young. For succession to happen, we need younger people involved and I am hoping through my tenure, we can directly reach out and start a momentum in younger people, some of whom have already been showing interest."

To aspiring engineers, he said, "Stop being so afraid to get involved.

"In the younger generation: there is this apprehension to get involved because they believe either their voices do not have meaning or they are not in a position yet to make a statement. Some of them have a 'somebody else will do it' attitude, so they believe they do not need to directly do it. Everybody is kicking the can further down the hill and nobody is actually picking up the can and doing it.

"The advice I will give to people is to get involved and source the right mentorship and associate yourself as you need to. Don’t wait for it to come to you."