Samer Karrar joins Future Generations Leadership Academy

Civil Engineer Samer Karrar joined Future Generations Leadership Academy this year! The Academy is centred around training 20 – 30 diverse young people in skills that will help develop them into leaders. 

The member have the opportunity to network with inspirational leaders and they are also equipped with the methods for enacting systematic change. They are prepared to challenge the status quo and create better public services in Wales. 

We caught up with Samer to shed some light on her ambitions and thoughts on this brilliant scheme. 

What skills are you hoping to learn from this scheme? 

I have a background in environmental policy and civil engineering. Whilst in the recent years, I have had the opportunity to enhance my skills further in the engineering field. By all means, I hope to utilise my technical and policy insights to influence national level decision making.

My goal is to achieve this by developing my own leadership skills and learning how to influence others. I believe that these skills will help when engaging with stakeholders from various backgrounds surrounding discussions about sustainable development.  

What do you think you and a network of other young leaders can achieve together? 

The programme cohort is a very diverse group of young leaders, each bringing a wealth of experience and different perspectives. Together, we hope to fulfil the Well-being Future Generations Act (WBFG) and help safeguard the interests of future generations in Wales. By creating a community of practice, we enable a peer-to-peer exchange around sustainable development and leadership.  

What about the status quo would you like to challenge and overcome, Why? 

Coming from a BAME community, I want to the challenge the status quo surrounding the community’s engagement with government and policy dialogues. There is a distrust in government amongst the BAME community. This exemplified what we are seeing in the uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine by the community.

I hope this programme will equip me with the skills and knowledge to explore the challenges facing community engagement, finding the appropriate mitigation measures. Some of the challenges include socio-economic inequalities spanning health, education, and access to infrastructure. 

What would you say to someone wanting to become a young leader? 

Firstly, it starts with self-reflection. Ask yourself this; What are you passionate about? What are your strengths? and What skills do you want to develop?

Following that, find a mentor who can guide you, and seek out leadership opportunities that will help you further develop the necessary skills. Finally, I think it is very important to have a growth mindset. You should continuously reflect on your behaviours and of those around you.

Well done Samer on this fantastic achievement, we hope to see the worthwhile and long-lasting changes you and your inspirational peers have in store for us very soon. 

If you’re interested in a new career opportunity within civil engineering, get in touch with Samer and our team.