The Engineering Council welcomes the March launch of the professional technician brand, which concludes the first phase of the Technician Council.  Chaired by Steve Holliday, CEO of National Grid, the Technician Council’s first phase was funded by government to make recommendations as to how the importance of the UK’s technicians in engineering, science and technology could be better recognised.

The second phase of the Technician Council will be funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and will aim to foster professional technician registration as an essential enabler for economic wellbeing, thereby seeing a significant increase in the numbers of technicians registering with the Engineering Council and Science Council.

At the launch, Oliver Letwin MP, Minister for Government Policy Advice, and John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, spoke in support of the Technician Council’s work, and Steve Holliday unveiled a set of recommendations to employers, Sector Skills Councils, professional bodies and Government.

The launch is the result of an 18 month project, during which the Technician Council defined ‘professional technician’, reviewed the gaps and shortages in technician skills provision in the UK and developed the set of recommendations to ensure that technicians receive the recognition that they deserve. 

The recommendations set out how stakeholders can strengthen the infrastructure underpinning the registration and professional development of technicians, encourage active support for this, and highlight how to increase the pool, status, transferability and diversity of professional technicians across all sectors of industry.

Engineering Council CEO Jon Prichard says: “We see this launch as an ideal opportunity to review the status registration plays in delivering economic benefit to employers and professional benefit to individuals.  It also allows us to promote professional registration as a tool for fostering employee development to a much wider audience.

“The UK has a rich engineering heritage which undoubtedly provides a foundation for future prosperity. Ensuring that we have sufficient well motivated professional technicians to be able to exploit this opportunity is an essential activity that the Engineering Council is delighted to be a part of.”

The Technician Council was formed in July 2010 following two influential government White Papers examining the national skills strategy for future growth, which highlighted the economic need for the UK to recognise and develop a modern class of technician.  This launch is a key milestone in the journey to delivering economic growth through a commitment to skills development.

The Engineering Council’s annual statistical summary for 2011 shows that, whilst the number of engineers and technicians obtaining a professional qualification in engineering continues to grow year on year, there was overall a 2% reduction in the total number held on the register during 2011. 
  
An overall decline of around 1.7% was anticipated, owing to the register reflecting the UK’s ageing population (the number of professionally qualified engineers and technicians on the register aged 60 and over has now risen from 37.4% in 2010 to 39.4%).  However, we believe that the slightly greater than expected rate of decline is due to the effects of market conditions in the post credit crunch recession.  It is hoped that with the recent improvements being seen in some engineering related industries, the rate of decline will start to decrease.

The 6.85% increase in new Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng), Chartered Engineer (CEng) and ICT Technician (ICTTech) registrations during 2011 further builds on the significant 26.9% rise seen during 2010.

“It is vital that we continue to attract new entrants to maintain the skills pipeline, if we are to meet the demands of future national needs, and to avoid experiencing the significant skills shortages in key sectors that occurred when we emerged from the last recession.” Jon Prichard, CEO of the Engineering Council says.  “The current financial downturn has inevitably resulted in a short term reduction in the demand for professionally qualified engineers, despite all of the recent skills forecasts identifying a medium term need for a highly skilled and professionally qualified workforce.  An on-going commitment from employers and individuals to professional development and professional registration is one of the measures that can help mitigate future shortages.”

The Engineering Council is therefore working with the Professional Engineering Institutions and other partners to boost awareness and understanding of the value of becoming professionally qualified. 

Jon Prichard adds: “It is pleasing to see that the UK Government has also now acknowledged both the central role engineers will play in rebuilding the economy and the need for sufficient highly skilled and professionally qualified engineers and technicians to achieve this.”

The Engineering Council will once again be joining a number of Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) on the Professional Development Hub at the National Engineering & Construction Recruitment Exhibition (NECR).  The NECR takes place on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 April at the NEC Birmingham.

The NECR provides an ideal, comprehensive way for those considering their next career move to prepare, research and meet potential employers and industry experts. The range of advice and services available mean that a visit to the event could prove one of the most valuable and productive days of the year for visitors - and one that could see them successfully taking the next step in their career.

Students, graduates and skilled professionals visiting the Professional Development Hub will be able to meet representatives from the Engineering Council and PEIs, for individual advice on their career progression, including how institution membership and professional registration can boost their career prospects.

Institutions having confirmed their attendance include:

• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
• Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE)
• Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3)
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM)
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
• Nuclear Institute (NI)
• Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)
• Society of Operations Engineers (SOE)
• Society of Environmental Engineers (SEE)
• The Welding Institute (TWI)

Other exhibitors at the NECR, the largest engineering and construction recruitment event in the UK, will be offering advice and challenging roles in virtually every sector of the industry including: automotive, mechanical, electronics, software and defence, construction, civil and structural engineering.

The Hazards Forum, in association with the Engineering Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering, is holding an evening event on Tuesday 12 June on the topic ‘Improving our understanding of public concern about risk’.  This is the first in a mini series of meetings to discuss risk perception and risk communication issues. 

Chair for the evening is Professor Sue Cox, from the University of Lancaster’s Business School, who is an expert on safety and risk - particularly the human factors and communication issues.  Speakers are: Professor Nick Pidgeon, Head of the Understanding Risk Research Group at Cardiff University; Professor Brian Wynne, a sociologist and Professor of Science Studies at the Centre for the Study of Environmental Change (CSEC) and at the ESRC Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics (CESAGen) at Lancaster University; and Professor Dick Eiser, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Sheffield University. Professor David Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk, University of Cambridge will introduce some further thoughts when opening the discussion period.

Risk is an area of great importance to the engineering community and the Engineering Council highlighted the importance of good communication as one of six principles in its 'Guidance on Risk for the Engineering Profession' published in 2011.

The European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI) officially launched its Engineering Card in April 2012. The aim of the card is to promote mobility of professional engineers, by providing a portable document that validates their professional qualifications.

The Engineering Card is operated by participating FEANI National Member Committees (NMCs). The NMCs of Germany and the Netherlands are the first to offer the Card. The NMC of the Czech Republic has announced that it will join the scheme during 2012.

The rules for the Engineering Card specify that it can be issued to graduates of engineering degree programmes. The Engineering Council is seeking clarity over the treatment of non-graduate professionally-qualified engineers, and graduates of non-engineering degrees who have achieved registration through individual assessment.

Additionally, in December 2011 the European Commission proposed revisions to the European Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications 2005/36/EC which include the introduction of a Professional Card in the form of an electronic certificate. The Engineering Council wishes to understand the impact of this proposal, and how it will relate to the Engineering Card before deciding whether to participate in the FEANI scheme.

The General Assembly of ENAEE, the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education, has elected Dr. Iring Wasser as its new President. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Giuliano Augusti, who has headed the organisation since its founding in 2006. The new President and newly elected members of the Administrative Council took office as from 1 April.

Dr Wasser is the Managing Director of the German Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in Engineering (ASIIN). His focus will be on fostering ENAEE’s visibility and political influence within the European Higher Education Area and beyond, promoting the significance of the European Accredited Engineering Label (EUR-ACE) as a vital instrument to foster academic and professional mobility for European engineers, as well as increasing stakeholder involvement, in particular the European business community.

The World Engineering Forum will be taking place from 17 to 21 September 2012 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Engineers, politicians, researchers, scientists and entrepreneurs from all over the world will gather at the Forum to exchange information and views about the sustainable design and construction of buildings and infrastructure, a major challenge of the 21st century. Special programmes will also be devoted to disaster/risk management and young engineers.

Suzanne and Emily Flynn from Ayrshire in Scotland are believed to be the first ‘mother and daughter’ in the UK to both gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. 

Electrical engineer, Suzanne, is Principal Consultant at Cygnet Solutions Ltd, a professional IT services provider, and became CEng 35 years ago.  Daughter Emily, 32, is an RAF Squadron Leader Engineering Officer, who has served in Afghanistan.  Both are members of the IET, and Suzanne is also an active and long standing member of WES.
 
Michelle Richmond CEng, the IET’s Director of Membership, said: "Gaining Chartered Engineer status is a massive achievement in its own right.  With engineering still a male-dominated industry, Suzanne and Emily join a very select group of females to have successfully achieved the qualification.  We are delighted for them."

A joint project between the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) and BT is enabling newly-graduated apprentices to gain ICTTech or EngTech, paid for by BT.  More than 200 BT apprentices will be eligible to apply this year. 

The scheme has already won the support of John Chudley, Divisional Director of the National Apprenticeship Service and Associate of the Engineering Council. He said: "Apprentices make an invaluable contribution to the UK economy, bringing a whole raft of benefits to the businesses that employ them. Here at the National Apprenticeship Service, we constantly work to not only promote apprenticeships, but to support those who are involved in them. It is fantastic to see BT and the ITP supporting apprentices in a way that will have real impact on their professional prospects, as they embark upon their careers with a solid track record of training and achievement behind them.  ICTTech registration recognises all of their hard work and commitment, and enables them to gain an internationally recognised registration and letters after their name, that display their competence in their chosen field."

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair exploded into life at The NEC, Birmingham, on 15 - 17 March, making its third year the biggest and best yet. With over three days of wall-to-wall science and engineering shows, activities and workshops, The Fair attracted 56,000 visitors, with young people, their teachers and parents totaling 49,000 – almost doubling last year’s impressive numbers.

Over 150 organisations came together to let young people see for themselves the vast range of exciting opportunities available through science and engineering careers, representing an unprecedented partnership between Government, education, industry and the wider science and engineering communities.

A mobile physics lab for young people is currently on a six month tour of the North West.  Run by the Institute of Physics (IOP), Lab in a Lorry is designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, offering 11-14 year olds the opportunity to explore science through specially created interactive experiments.

The on board experiments involve using the properties of light to diagnose sick patients, using sound waves to smash wine glasses, and scattering light to understand why the sky is blue and help identify the real colour of the Sun.  The key concepts behind the experiments will be illustrated with examples from everyday life and cutting-edge research.

Staffed by volunteers – all practising scientists and engineers and often provided by STEMNET - the 44 ft lorry is one of two labs that have been visiting schools free-of-charge across the UK and Ireland since early 2005.

The lorry is fitted with three distinct lab areas for groups of up to six children to take part in the hands-on experiments. It aims to reach 6,000 students across the region, from Alsager in the south to Carlisle in the north, all of whom will be introduced to key concepts in physics.

The international engineering community has been called upon to nominate their peers for the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering - the biggest and most prestigious prize ever created to celebrate the achievements of today’s engineers.

Nominations are now open for the prize, which will award £1 million to the winning engineer or group of engineers responsible for the world’s greatest modern engineering advancement which has had a demonstrable benefit for humanity.

As reported in Register News in January, the prize was created last year and aims to become as highly regarded internationally as the Nobel prizes. It will be awarded biennially and the search for the winner will demonstrate the importance of engineering to the fabric of society in every country across the globe.

The eminent panel of judges – leaders in their fields across engineering disciplines, from around the world – is drawn from academics and leaders in industry, who are well placed to assess the importance and impact of engineering innovations globally.

The confirmed judging panel is as follows:
Prof Frances Arnold, Chemical Engineer, Professor at Caltech, USA
Lord Alec Broers FREng Hon FMedSci FRS (Chair), Electrical Engineer. Past President, Royal Academy of Engineering, UK
Prof Brian Cox OBE, Particle Physicist. Royal Society Research Fellow, University of Manchester, UK
Prof Lynn Gladden, CBE CEng FREng FRS Chemical Engineer. Professor at University of Cambridge, UK
Diane Greene, Director of Intuit, Director of Google, USA
Prof Calestous Juma, HonFREng FRS, Professor of International Development and Director of Science, Tech and Globalisation Project, Harvard University, USA
Prof Hiroshi Komiyama, Chemical Engineer President Engineering Academy of Japan
Prof John Hennessy, Electrical Engineer. President, Stanford University, USA
Prof. Dr. h.c. Reinhard Hüttl, President, acatech, Germany
Nathan Mhyrvold, Co-founder, Intellectual Ventures, USA
Narayana Murthy, Electronic Engineer. Founder, Infosys, India
Prof Choon Fong Shih, Mechanical Engineer. President, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Dr Charles Vest FREng Mechanical Engineer. President, National Academy of Engineering, USA
Paul Westbury CEng FREng, Civil Engineer. CEO, Buro Happold, UK

The prize was launched by the leaders of all three of the UK’s main political parties, and a message of support was offered by HM The Queen: “Over the past 60 years, I have had the privilege of seeing how engineering developments can make a profound impact on people’s lives. I am delighted to lend my support to this prize and I hope that it inspires many more people across the globe to develop life changing engineering creations in the years to come.”

The British Science Association is running a new poster competition for engineers called Strictly Engineering. Funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the competition aims to challenge the stereotypical view of engineering, highlight what engineers really do and celebrate the contributions made by the profession to the everyday lives of the UK population.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to be mentored by professional graphic designers and public engagement specialists, through a one day workshop designed to develop their verbal and visual communication skills, and a three day all expenses paid trip to the British Science Festival in Aberdeen to display their poster as part of a special exhibition. Prizes will be awarded for the best posters voted for by the public.

Online applications are open until 16 May and successful applicants will be notified by 30 May.

The Energy Institute (EI) Awards celebrate the very best in excellence and innovation in the global energy sector. They present an ideal opportunity to seek independent recognition for a particular project or an individual person and highlight the contribution and value to society that those working in the energy industry make on a daily basis.

Entries are invited in eight categories:

• Communication
• Community Initiative, sponsored by Nexen
• Energy Excellence, sponsored by Ninox
• Environment, sponsored by E.ON
• Innovation, sponsored by AMEC
• Outstanding Individual Achievement, sponsored by Mott MacDonald
• Safety, sponsored by Shell
• Technology, sponsored by Costain

Entry is free and the deadline for submissions is 29 June 2012. Finalists will be presented with their award in London on 15 November 2012.

“Weathering the Perfect Storm – Who do you want in your Lifeboat?” is the title of a Landwards 2012 Conference, taking place on 10 May at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire and hosted by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE).

The conference is for all scientists, engineers and managers involved with the management of energy resources, livestock, water resources and crop production and with an interest in how the sector will introduce innovations to counteract the effects of the "Perfect Storm".

A "perfect storm" of food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy resources threatens to unleash public unrest, cross-border conflicts and mass migration as people flee from the worst-affected regions.

The third and final Nuclear Construction Lessons Learned guide on welding has now been completed by relevant members of Engineering the Future.

Bryan Hildrew, who died on 11 January 2012 aged 91 years, will be remembered by many of our readers.  A founder member of the Council of Engineering Institutions (CEI), he was elected CEI Chairman in 1981 and worked tirelessly to promote the engineering profession.  His outstanding work with the CEI led to his award of a CBE in the 1977 New Year’s Honours List.

He was a lifelong member of both the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), becoming President of the former in 1980 and the latter in 1983.

Bryan was a perceptive and forward thinking engineer and former Managing Director of Lloyd’s Register. He was involved in numerous engineering investigations as well as working on the development programme for the UK’s first nuclear submarine.