ECUK to launch ICT Technician Register

There is currently no professional qualification for the growing number of technicians who work in the key fields of IT and communication systems. The Engineering Council UK (ECUK) has announced its intention to rectify this omission by offering such individuals the opportunity to apply for registration as Information and Communications Technology Technicians. Those meeting the competence requirements for entry onto the new register will be granted the post-nominal title ICTTech.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has been at the forefront of developing the ICTTech award, which will initially be offered through a small group of engineering institutions licensed by ECUK. Assessment of the first applicants should begin by the end of this year, with a view to the ICTTech register going live at the beginning of 2009.

Research carried out by IET and discussions with ICT sector bodies and employers, notably the armed forces, revealed solid support for the proposed new award, which has the potential to help embed professional standards in the sector. ICT technicians are to be found in a wide range of industries and the pool from which registrants will be drawn is estimated to number at least 150,000.

A competence-based ICTTech standard has been drafted in consultation with various interested parties, including the sector skills council e-Skills UK. It follows the same basic format as the ECUK standard (UK-SPEC), which is used to assess those who wish to register as Engineering Technicians (EngTech).

Before ECUK can invite candidates to apply for the ICTTech title, it must first finalise the standard and award licences to the initial group of institutions who wish to make it available to their membership. It will also be necessary for the Privy Council to approve amendments to ECUK's byelaws.