Bermuda’s professional body for engineering is to host a free competition for students and young professionals.

And the overall winner will get an all-expenses paid trip to compete at the Americas regional final, to be held next June.

The Bermuda Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) has teamed up with the UK’s Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as part of the IET’s Present Around the World drive.

Entrants — who must be aged between 18 and 26 — will be asked to prepare a ten-minute presentation on an engineering or technology topic, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session.

A BAPE spokesman said: “The emphasis is on presentation skills rather than technical content, enabling competitors at varying levels of their studies or career to participate on an equal footing.”

BAPE said that it is hoped to run multiple heats early next year — with cash prizes for the winner and runner-up in each heat, who will also get a year’s free IET membership.

All the winners and runners-up will then move to the final round and compete for further cash prizes.

Prizes on offer range from $160 to $1,500.

Anyone interested in competing should contact Daniele Bortoli at dbortoli@gov.bm for an information pack and registration requirements. More information at http://conferences.theiet.org/patw/.