Standards Review 2026: Themed Workshops Update

Published: 12/12/2025

The Engineering Council regularly reviews the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment (UK-SPEC),  the Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP), the Approval and Accreditation of Qualifications and Apprenticeships (AAQA), and Regulations for Registration (RfR) to ensure they stay up to date, protect public safety, and reflect current technology and sustainability needs. These reviews maintain clear, internationally recognised routes to professional registration, ensure education and training remain aligned with industry requirements, and support consistent regulatory governance under the Engineering Council’s Royal Charter.

As part of the Standards Review 2026 programme, the Engineering Council has held a series of themed workshops over the last few months. Each session was facilitated by a subject matter expert from the engineering community, which delivered a holistic view of our core standards, informed by discussions covering all four documents, and explored how emerging areas of interest might be reflected in future iterations of each document.

The following topics were covered across six workshops:

  • Ethical, Inclusive and Human-Centred Practice
  • Global Responsibility and Governance
  • Sustainable and Regenerative Futures
  • Engineering Management and Innovation
  • Safe, Secure, Resilient Systems 
  • Systems and Critical Thinking  

All six workshops were attended by diverse groups of our Stakeholders, which promoted in-depth and insightful discussions. The valuable outputs from these sessions will enable the Engineering Council to shape the upcoming Standards review and prepare us for wider consultation and drafting activities throughout 2026.

To receive updates on the Standards Review and be a part of the next phase of the consultation, please visit the Engineering Council website. 

Standards Review 2026 Workshop Update Pr 352X280