The number of professional engineers who have their institution membership and registration fees paid for by their employers continues to edge upwards. According to the latest ‘Registrants Survey’ over half (53%) now benefit in this way, compared with 50% in 2005 and 47% in 2003. Also, around one third of respondents had been required or encouraged to become registered by an employer, although for those aged under 35 the proportion was closer to a half.

Conducted on behalf of the ETB and ECUK by ERS Research, the survey entailed sending detailed questionnaires to 10,000 registrants (all under 65). Responses were received from 3238, of whom 22% had become registered in the last five years. Their answers have provided a useful insight into the various reasons why individuals seek to gain the CEng, IEng and EngTech awards and the value they subsequently place on being registered, as well as their attitudes on subjects such as CPD. They also reveal that all three registrant categories have seen double-digit growth in mean earnings since the 2005 survey.

While 31% of respondents said their employer had required or encouraged them to become registered (rising to 45% for those under 35), it was the belief that registration would help with their career development that was the main motivator for most, with 78% citing this as a significant factor in their decision – and 40% saying it was the principal reason. Next in importance was a desire for greater professional status - which was mentioned by 68% – while 61% said that wanting to see their skills and experience recognised was one of the major influences.

Pleasingly, 87% placed a high value on their title, with 42% valuing it ‘very highly’. The comparable ratings for institution membership were also impressive at 84% and 37% respectively. When asked about the impact of being registered, 36% asserted it had increased their employment opportunities. Younger engineers had done best in this regard, with 45% of those under 35 and 38% of 35-44 year olds reporting this as a benefit.

CPD was considered important by 70% of respondents, up 2% on 2005, though those seeing it as ‘very important’ grew from 26% to 32%. However, only 46% said they plan their professional development objectives.

Mean annual earnings reached £58,668 for Chartered Engineers (up 10.6% on 2005), £46,543 for Incorporated Engineers (up 14.8%) and £37,636 for Engineering Technicians (up 11.5%). Median earnings were: CEng, £50,000 (up 9.9%); IEng, £41,000 (up 10.8%); EngTech, £33,000 (up 6.5%).

The highest proportion of respondents work in manufacturing (21%) and construction (20%), with a further 16% employed in transport and communications and 10% in utilities. Other sectors accounted for less than 5% each. A mere 17 (0.5%) of those questioned said they were unemployed and seeking work.

The 2007 Registrant Survey report can be found at: www.engc.org.uk/publications

With the mean age of registrants at an all time high – for Chartered Engineers it has now reached 55 – there is an urgent requirement for more young engineers and technicians to apply for professional recognition. This need to shift the demographic balance was highlighted during a recent ETB/ECUK workshop on promoting institution membership and registration. It was generally agreed that part of the solution lay in persuading employers that it was in their interests to have registered engineers on their staff. More sharing of good practice by the institutions was also deemed highly important.

The institution and employer representatives attending the event heard how one example of good practice - the Institution of Chemical Engineers’ ‘Get Chartered’ campaign - had produced a 30% increase in CEng numbers since its inception in 2004. IChemE Membership Marketing Executive Holly Hall explained how a dedicated website had made it easier for CEng hopefuls to learn about and apply for registration and also allowed IChemE to spread the message to a wider audience. Central to the IChemE strategy was the idea that registration was a process that begins well before an individual gains the necessary competences. CEng has thus been actively marketed among students and new graduates.

That institutions have many different ‘interpretations’ of the registration process was regarded by some as a major obstacle to greater employer engagement. To others however it was all about making registration relevant to employers. Richard Pratt from QinetiQ described how he’d been able to demonstrate a solid business case for registration in his own company, where chartered staff were on average on a higher grade than their non-registered counterparts - though not as a result of company policy. Since QinetiQ’s charge-out rates were linked to grades, it was benefiting financially from encouraging its engineers to become chartered. To others, a further way in which employers gained was through the quality assurance of competence that registration conferred.

ECUK’s CEO Andrew Ramsay produced figures to show that the market for registration was far from saturated. Of the 425,000 people in the UK claiming to be professional engineers just over one third were Chartered or Incorporated Engineers. Though estimates of non-registered technicians varied enormously – from 200,000 to 2million – the potential for EngTech was clearly huge. Encouragingly, Andrew was also able to report that a large majority of registrants (see previous story) placed a high or very high value on their registration.

As business consultant and Chartered Engineer, David Falzani later pointed out, here was a highly valued ‘product’ that had significant benefits, a large potential market and little competition. In short it represented a highly attractive marketing opportunity. It was though an opportunity that had to be grasped as soon as possible if an irreversible decline in registrant numbers were to be avoided.

Event chairman Professor Bill Banks said the workshop had revealed a number of actions that the profession could and should take. These included: learning from the success of IChemE through dissemination of the details of its ‘Get Chartered’ campaign; conducting a market analysis; and establishing a marketing round table where institutions could meet regularly to discuss current practice and lessons learnt. Moreover, there would have to be a greater emphasis on ‘selling’ registration to employer HR departments.

In the view of many of those present, past efforts to market registration had been too diffuse, involving too many small and unrelated projects. What was now called for was a much more strategic approach. It is to be hoped that the workshop – which by general consensus was informative and valuable - will prove the catalyst that sets the process in motion.

A more detailed report on the workshop can be found on ECUK’s extranet.

Getting on for half of ECUK’s licensed institutions have expressed a keen interest in jointly developing a common, online membership application service. Their desire to collaborate follows the positive outcome of a feasibility study carried out for ECUK by Helix Software Ltd.

The study resulted in an outline proposal for a secure shared solution that would use standardised web-based application forms, the templates for which could be mixed and matched to meet individual institution requirements. Crucially, the use of W3C web accessibility standards would allow it to ‘adopt’ the look and style of the institution website through which an application was made.

It is intended that the system will provide verification of an applicant’s identity and validation of his or her qualifications and competences, as well as allowing online payment of membership fees. The latest web technologies would be employed to enhance responsiveness and interactivity, with features such as ‘pause and resume’ and context sensitive help adding further to the ‘richness’ of the user experience. Institutions would be able to monitor the progress of applications and where needed give support.

Fifteen institutions have so far shown a strong interest in participating in the development, which offers them a means of updating and streamlining their application processes at a much lower cost than if they opted to act independently. In addition, the proposed system would not only make it easier for an individual to gain institution membership but – because of the data it holds – it would also simplify any subsequent application for professional registration. ECUK would be responsible for coordinating the project.

For an engineering degree programme to gain ECUK-accreditation it must satisfy numerous criteria. One requirement is that it has to impart an understanding of the ethical implications of engineering decisions. How to judge whether a course actually achieves this is a question to be addressed by a forthcoming seminar being jointly organised by ECUK, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC).

The event, which will be held at the Royal Academy’s offices on 14th March, is targeted at members of engineering institution accreditation panels. There will be a strong emphasis on participants sharing experience in order to identify good practice.

The programme will begin with a presentation on the Royal Academy of Engineering’s recently published ‘Statement of Ethical Principles’, which was prepared in collaboration with ECUK and its licensed engineering institutions. This concise guide goes beyond the codes of conduct laid down by individual institutions and establishes a wider set of standards to which professional engineers can aspire.

Delegates to the event will also hear details of a curriculum ‘map’ developed by TEEG (Teaching of Engineering Ethics).

Subsequent break-out groups will discuss how much ethics content there should be in engineering degrees and how learning outcomes can best be assessed. There will also be discussion sessions during which accreditation personnel from similar sectors of engineering can talk about the ethical issues of relevance to them.

To register for ‘Engineering Ethics and Accreditation’, contact Sylvia Quildan at ECUK on 020 3206 0557 or email: squildan@engc.org.uk

Individuals registered as Incorporated Engineers (IEng) now have the opportunity to gain wider recognition for their particular skills and expertise. Provided they have the necessary qualifications and experience, they can apply for the newly created title of International Engineering Technologist (IntET), the aim of which is to make it easier for holders to practise their profession overseas. ECUK is responsible for maintaining the UK section of the IntET Register.

Incorporated Engineers are deemed to have equivalent competences to those who elsewhere in the world are generally described as engineering technologists.

The IntET Register has been set up by the Engineering Technologist Mobility Forum, which comprises ECUK and the national engineering organisations of Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa. The title provides a basis for facilitating mutual recognition of the competence and standing of experienced engineering technologists who are professionally registered, licensed or certified within these countries. More nations are expected to become involved in the not-too-distant future.

To qualify for the IntET title, it is necessary to hold an appropriate academic qualification (generally a bachelor’s degree, HND or HNC) and have a minimum of seven years’ post-graduate experience as an engineer, with at least two years in charge of significant engineering work. Applicants also need to show an up-to-date record of continuing professional development. Applications have to be made through the candidate’s engineering institution. The registration fee is £90 and grants use of the title for five years.

ECUK already maintains the UK section of the Register of International Professional Engineers (IntPE), which was established in 2001 and now contains more than 2000 names. In this country it is only open to experienced Chartered Engineers (CEng), who are also able to apply for the EUR ING (European Engineer) title. IntET is the first international award that recognises the competences of Incorporated Engineers.

For further information about the new title contact: international@engc.org.uk

The decision to ask ECUK’s CEO Andrew Ramsay to officially open the Further Mathematics Network’s final regional centre was something of a no-brainer. Not only has ECUK been an ardent supporter of the network – which has already had a significant impact on the numbers studying AS and A level further maths – but Andrew was also once a pupil at Chosen Hill School, Gloucester, the location for the new centre.

The FM Network is a government-funded initiative and is managed by independent charity MEI (Mathematics in Education & Industry). It has played a crucial role in reversing a twenty-five year decline in the number of students taking further maths. In England, the numbers sitting the subject at A and AS level are up by 39% and 89% respectively since 2004, more than in any other discipline. Completion of the network, which with the addition of Chosen Hill School comprises 47 centres across the country, means that all students in England now have access to further maths, which has not been the case for some years. By the late 1990s many schools and colleges, particularly in the state sector, had stopped offering it.

Schools and colleges that are not able to offer further maths – because numbers are too small or there are no teachers available – can arrange for tuition of their students through the nearest regional centre. This is based on a blended learning approach that combines face-to-face lessons – frequently involving students from a number of schools and colleges – with independent study using the network’s extensive on-line resources. Tutors are assigned to provide individual support between lessons, often via e-mail, and revision days are laid on to aid preparation for exams.

As a member of the FM network advisory panel, Andrew Ramsay has been closely involved with the scheme’s development. Speaking to a large gathering of Gloucestershire sixth-formers at the opening of the new centre, he said: “Students who take further maths are much better prepared for studying engineering and other mathematics-related subjects at university, and are thus more likely to complete their courses. They emerge stronger in key skills like calculus, and also gain a broader mathematical knowledge, taking twice as many optional modules as those doing standard maths AS/A levels. And for students who use the FM network – with its mix of lectures, tutorials and independent study – there is the added benefit of following a university style learning system. Importantly, it is the study of further maths – and the fascinating insight it gives into the fundamentals of engineering - that makes many young people want to go on to become engineers.”

In 2007, there were 7872 entries for A level further maths across the UK, 8% higher than in the previous year. (This largely excludes Scotland, where most students take Scottish Highers.) AS level numbers were up 18% at 7426. This year is expected to bring further increases, at both levels. The uptake of standard mathematics is on an upward curve too, with last year’s A level entries totalling 66,000.

Interestingly, support provided by the FM Network has resulted in an increase in those state schools and colleges that are themselves able to offer further maths. In 2005/06 their numbers grew by 16%.

Last year, responding to a decade of decline in the numbers registering as Incorporated Engineers, ECUK embarked on a full review of the award. As reported in the October 07 issue of Register News, the review working group determined that there was still a place for IEng, but suggested it be repositioned – and re-titled. The view put forward by the group – and generally supported by the institutions – was that it should no longer be presented in isolation from other awards, but rather as part of a professional development pathway that for many would lead to CEng registration.

The review working group was recently reconvened in order to consult with employers, re-examine UK-SPEC statements relating to IEng and initiate market research into a new title. Among the issues it will discuss when talking to employers are work-based learning and professional development schemes. It also hopes to make use of the output of another working group, which has been set up by ECUK’s Registration Standards Committee with a view to establishing general guidance principles on further learning requirements.

The IEng review working group is due to make its final report to RSC and the ECUK board in June this year.

If government plans are realised there will be 500,000 apprenticeships by 2020, double the current total, with a significant number of them in engineering and technology. That this could prove a big ‘ask’ is highlighted by a few key statistics in Engineering UK 2007, the ETB’s annual review of the engineering and technology labour market produced in association with ECUK.

Published last month, the report is by no means downbeat about the prospects for engineering further education and vocational training. Yet it does reveal that the number of FE learners on engineering, manufacturing and technology courses, including apprenticeships, fell by 26% between 2002 and 2005. It also shows a high drop-out rate for engineering apprenticeships, with completions at just 60% (though the average for all subject areas is no better). Demographic trends are not favourable either, since by 2018 the number of 16-year olds will have declined by 16%. Ironically, the government’s success at increasing the popularity of higher education could further restrict the flow of those opting for the vocational training route.

However, the report does acknowledge that much is being done to encourage learners and employers to recognise the worth of the FE sector and to boost the appeal of EMT. It points to the success of the 14-16 Young Apprenticeship programme and to the imminent launch of the first 14-19 Specialised Diplomas, among which will be one for engineering and another for construction and the built environment. Other encouraging developments mentioned in the report include a pilot scheme that could see level 3 apprenticeships being awarded as a qualification and the recent removal of the upper age restriction of 25 for apprenticeship funding.

Some encouragement can also be taken from the very latest figures for Learning and Skills Council funded work-based learning programmes. Issued too late to be included in the ETB review, they show an increase in new starts in the year to July 2007, particularly for apprenticeships, which were up by 5.5%.

In addition to the insights it provides into further education and vocational training, ‘Engineering UK 2007’ contains data and analysis on the secondary and higher education sectors, graduate recruitment, engineer salaries and the public perception of engineering. Copies can be downloaded from:

http://www.etechb.co.uk/_db/_documents/EngUK07.pdf

Professor Kel Fidler, ECUK chairman and vice-chancellor of Northumbria University, has been awarded an Honorary DSc by Huddersfield University - further recognition of his significant contribution to the engineering profession.

Throughout his long and distinguished academic career – which has included being Head of Electronics at three universities - Kel has been an active member of his professional institution. His involvement with the IEE (now IET) began when he was studying electrical engineering at Durham University, and he has subsequently served on many of its committees, boards and councils at local and national levels – becoming a Fellow of the institution in 1982.

In 2002 he was appointed chair of ECUK’s Registration Standards Committee. In this role he led the all-important work that produced UK-SPEC, the current competence standard for professional engineers and engineering technicians. He was elected as ECUK’s chairman in 2005 and in the same year was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

If you gained a first or postgraduate degree in engineering, construction or physics between 1992 and 1997, then Loughborough University’s Department of Civil & Building Engineering would appreciate your help with research it is doing into graduate career paths. Those fitting the profile are being invited to complete an on-line questionnaire about their educational background, current and past employment and work/life balance.

Participation in the survey could see you enjoying a culinary reward as your name will be entered into a prize draw to win Pizza Express vouchers. Loughborough says it takes just 15-20 minutes to complete the questionnaire, the data from which will be aggregated and anonymised. The closing date is February 15th: To participate visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=y7nanMWjIZUYyedkn8hT_2bg_3d_3d

For further information contact Abigail Powell at A.Powell@Lboro.ac.uk or on 01509 228741.