Throughout 2025, the British Geotechnical Association (BGA) Early Career Group (ECG) delivered a dynamic and wide-ranging programme of activities aimed at strengthening technical development, professional engagement, and inclusivity within the UK geotechnical community. The year highlighted the ECGs continued commitment to supporting early-career engineers through both technical initiatives and community-building events.
The year began with the ECGs involvement in the 56th Cooling Prize Competition, hosted by the ICE Yorkshire Geotechnical Group (YGG). The ECG supported promotion of the competition and facilitated the first-stage judging process, reinforcing its role in encouraging technical excellence and student participation within the profession.
Community engagement remained a strong focus. The ECG hosted a well-attended social networking event following the Rankine Lecture, creating space for informal exchange between early-career professionals, academics, and senior practitioners. In June, the ECG presented at the BGA Annual General Meeting, introducing its new committee and formally recognising the contributions of outgoing members. Particular acknowledgment was given to the team behind the successful Manual of Geotechnical Engineering (MOGE) discussion series, which had run over the previous two years.
The newly appointed committee quickly established momentum, delivering a summer social event as their first initiative, followed by the flagship Annual Networking and Welcome Event in October. This event attracted strong participation from both industry and academia, reinforcing the ECGs role as a key entry point for young professionals engaging with the BGA.
Beyond standalone events, the ECG actively supported the wider geotechnical community through promotion of BGA conferences, lectures, and seminars via the website, newsletters, and LinkedIn outreach. This sustained communication effort helped maintain strong visibility and engagement across career stages.
A central theme of 2025 was equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The ECG supported multiple EDI Working Groups addressing cultural diversity, women in engineering, faith, and the needs of carers, parents, and guardians. These initiatives contributed to fostering a more inclusive and representative professional environment within the geotechnical sector.
Collaboration also featured prominently. Participation in the BGA Annual Dinner and Invited Lecturer event strengthened links with the wider association, while joint activities expanded through partnership with the British Tunnelling Society Young Members (BTSYM). This collaboration included the first joint Christmas Social and a shared focus on advancing sustainability capability within the profession.
Together, the ECG and BTSYM delivered three dedicated sustainability training sessions, addressing sustainability considerations across the full project lifecyclefrom concept and outline design through detailed design and end-of-life stages. These sessions reflected the growing importance of sustainability in geotechnical practice and the proactive role of early-career groups in shaping future standards.
As it looks ahead to the 2026 calendar of events, the BGA ECG remains committed to expanding its network, strengthening links with ISSMGE and ICE specialist knowledge societies, and continuing to support the next generation of geotechnical professionals in the UK and beyond.
Get Involved!
This update is part of the broader YMPG News campaign, showcasing initiatives from young geotechnical professionals around the world.
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