The Engineering Council is attending the next Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PRSB) Forum to give an update on the changes to our professional standards. 

Following our regular Standards Review, revised editions of the Engineering Council's standards documents were published on 1 September 2020.

Revisions to Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) aim to encourage development of innovative programmes and pedagogy, making clear that industry involvement in programme design and delivery is expected. The updated document also has a sharper focus on inclusive design and innovation, and the coverage of areas such as sustainability and ethics.

Accreditation and Approval of Qualifications and Apprenticeships (AAQA) is broader in scope than the Approval of Qualifications and Apprenticeships Handbook (AQAH) it replaces, to enable approval and accreditation of a wider variety of programmes, including those designed to develop engineering competence. It also introduces intermediate competences between EngTech and IEng to support progression and recognition of apprenticeships and competence development schemes at these levels.

The deadline for implementation of these standards is 31 December 2021, with the exception of learning outcomes, which will be implemented by 31 December 2024 to allow for course development timescales. All current and revised standards documents are available at: www.engc.org.uk/standards

QAA is the independent body entrusted with monitoring and advising on standards and quality in UK higher education. It hosts the PRSB Forum, which provides an opportunity for PSRBs and higher education providers to meet and discuss topics of mutual interest.