15/11/07

The Engineering Technician launch on Tuesday followed by the IMechE presentation at the National Business Awards is raising our profile in very different ways.

The debate about Engineering Technicians has revealed a wide range of views on this topic and a packed audience in the lecture theatre yesterday.  A very eloquent young technician talked about the value of EngTechs and how being accepted into the IMechE would inspire him to go further - potentially to Chartership. We should all feel very proud that the IMechE has taken this step. Those of you that missed a copy of today's Times can view the supplement at timesonline.co..uk/careersinengineering

Back to the my day job with a trip offshore to visit activities West of Shetland.  Please keep your fingers crossed for good weather! In response to your comments on previous blog: Yes I did mean cold fusion not coal fusion; not convinced that Europe will meet the 2020 emissions target on the evidence presented - I welcome others views but I see the UK Government backing off from our original strong stance.  In response to the ETB statement, the ETB needs good marketing as its role is to market the profession.  Obviously engineers need to be involved in that but the new Chairman's experience in companies like IBM indicates he can bring a great deal to ETB.

Comments

[Michael Reid]

You are right to doubt the 2020 targets.

Most of the main European countries will have no problem as they are well on the way already.

Britain, however, is coming from a long way behind. That makes Brown's championship of the proposal doubly brave!

If it is going to be done, he is not going to do it without the help of engineers.

First, though, he is going to have to sort out the nimbies and planning law.

It's going to be interesting.

Michael Reid
Vice Chairman
Energy Environment and Sustainability Group

[John Lewis]

Mechanical Engineering Sites;

http://www.mechanicalengineering.cc
http://www.mechanicalengineering.tv
http://www.mechanicalengineer.cc
http://www.mechanicalengineer.de

[Tim Podesta]

Marketing of the profession has always been an issue. It need leadership from industry and senior engineers to set the example of promoting accreditiation of being a chartered engineer and support from the new engineers to aspire to that role. In the middle comes the satisfaction of career and reward. I spotted recently that engineers had the best career sustainability and longevity, a selling point that is often missed.