Category : News

Not-for-profit EngineeringUK has today announced it’s entering a new strategy period – which will set the direction of the organisation over the next 5 years.

With a core purpose of driving change so more young people choose engineering and technology careers, EngineeringUK’s refreshed vision is for the UK to have the diverse workforce needed for engineering and technology to thrive and to drive economic prosperity, improve sustainability and achieve net zero.

Engineering and tech are critically important for the UK, with huge opportunities and responsibilities over the coming years, but the sector continues to face significant workforce challenges.

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, explains “For engineering and technology to really thrive, we urgently need more people and more diversity in our workforce. Our new strategy provides us, and importantly all of our partners, with a renewed focus on what we’re trying to achieve, and clarity on how we’re going to get there.

“We’re determined to achieve our mission of enabling more young people from all backgrounds to be inspired, informed and progress into engineering and technology. But this will only be possible by working in partnership – we all have a part to play in this.”

Dr Alice Bunn, Chief Executive of the Institution for Mechanical Engineers and EngineeringUK Trustee, comments: “Engineering is an exciting, rewarding career and engineers have a key role in solving many of the complex global challenges we face today. We need to encourage many more young people into the profession, and it is vitally important we work together to drive change and ensure that young people have the right skills to make a difference. EngineeringUK’s new strategy will engage more young people with engineering and technology, helping to inspire a new generation of innovators.”

EngineeringUK’s strategy from 2023 to 2028 consists of 4 key strands of activity including:

• Research and evidence – establishing the composition of the current engineering and technology workforce, future workforce needs and how to address them   
• Leadership – leading efforts to grow the collective impact of all engineering and technology inspiration and careers activities with young people of school age     
• Activities for schools – expanding its activities to encourage more, and more diverse, young people into engineering, technician and tech roles        
• Advocacy – providing advocacy and support to address policy and delivery challenges in STEM and careers education and workforce planning for engineering and tech

Ed Almond, Chief Executive of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and EngineeringUK Trustee, said: “With clear aims across research evidence, leadership, activities for schools and advocacy, this new strategy ensures it is providing an in-depth and multifaceted approach to inspire the next generation of engineers to deliver the solutions required by society.”

He continues, “The demand for engineers is only increasing, so the work that EngineeringUK does – along with all engineering PEIs across the UK – is critical. We need to promote the range of science, engineering and technology careers to young people from all different backgrounds. We also need to show society its impact and importance in tackling world challenges, and advocate for policy and education in engineering. It’s a collective effort so collaboration is key in driving real change. We look forward to continuing our work with EngineeringUK to engineer a better world together.”

Dr Janet Young, Director General of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and EngineeringUK Trustee, commented: “The world is facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss. Engineers have the skills and drive to change the world, and are in a unique position to address these challenges head on. This renewed strategy will encourage and inspire the engineers and infrastructure professionals necessary to build the cleaner, greener future we all need.”

Benj Sykes, Head of Environment, Consenting and External Affairs at Orsted, commented: “As one of the world’s leading renewable energy developers, a diverse, innovative, collaborative group of engineers lies at the very core of our business. These teams drive forward our projects turning concepts and plans into vital green energy generating assets, such as offshore wind, so we’re delighted to see sustainability and net zero feature so prominently in the EngineeringUK vision. A diverse pool of future talent is crucial for the success of our business and many industries alike. By boosting engagement and aspiration in STEM-based careers, we can open up the world of possibilities to future generations of scientists & engineers.”

Hear directly from EngineeringUK’s Chief Executive Hilary Leevers in this video. For more information visit: EngineeringUK’s website.

Dr Sam Collins, CEO and Founder, Aspire writes:

Over the past 22 years of Aspire, I have been blown away by the extraordinary yet everyday women who let us know about the projects they are doing that make a difference to women and girls. Often these projects are done in addition to their day jobs and are born out of a passion and desire to see change. One of the biggest challenges is often raising visibility of this work and receiving the positive acknowledgement that they truly deserve.

As part of our efforts to empower and inspire women, we are seeking to raise the profile of amazing women and organisations that are doing work that contribute to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. This could be individuals, corporations, businesses, charities or governmental organisations.

We will feature the person and their project on our website homepage as part of our campaign aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 “To Create Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls”.This campaign will cover the following areas:

1. Ensuring full participation in leadership and decision-making
2. Universal access to reproductive health and rights
3. Equal rights to economic resources, property and financial services
4. Promoting the empowerment of women through technology
5. Adopt policies and legislation for gender equality
6. Valuing unpaid care and shared domestic responsibilities
7. Ending discrimination against women and girls
8. Ending violence against women and girls 
9. Eliminating harmful practices such as forced marriages and genital mutilation 
10. Something else, you let us know!

We will provide visibility of 10 projects to our community of over 250,000 people across the world. It will also serve as a source of inspiration and ideas for others who might like to do work in these areas.

If you are interested and would like to have yourself and/or your organisation featured, then please contact us for more information. We are looking for 10 projects and will choose those who we believe are most aligned with our mission.

For further information about Aspire please click here

EngineeringUK have published an extensive new report on ‘Engineering skills needs – now and into the future’. The research explores changing engineering & technology skills needs, as the UK ramps up its focus on becoming a #netzero economy. Find out more in their discussion paper, available to download here.

Calling all North East Engineers! We are reaching out to all North East Engineers who want to connect together and form a collaboration to improve LGBTQ+ inclusion in North East England. If you are interested in connecting to other North East engineers, please reach out to team@interengineeringlgbt.com

Congratulations to all of the 1,792 engineers and technicians who have become professionally registered with the Engineering Council during the first three months of 2023, following a successful assessment of their engineering competence and commitment.

Professional registration is an internationally recognised mark of quality, as it is a standard set by the engineering profession. In 2022 a total of 9,215 people achieved professional registration.

Unlike a purely academic qualification, registration demonstrates a person’s competence (gained through practical experience) as well as their knowledge and understanding. The engineers and technicians who achieve professional registration are skilled professionals who have chosen to have their expertise independently verified. Registrants are able to use post nominal letters after their names to show they hold one of these legally protected titles, demonstrating their professional status:

• Chartered Engineer (CEng)
• Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
• Engineering Technician (EngTech)
• Information and Communications Technology Technician (ICTTech)

In the first quarter of 2023:

• 971 people achieved CEng
• 262 people achieved IEng
• 517 people achieved EngTech
• 42 people achieved ICTTech

Engineering Council CEO Alasdair Coates BEng(Hons) MSc CEng FICE MCIHT CMIOSH said:

“Congratulations to everyone registered in the first few months of 2023 on their achievement! We understand what a professional and personal milestone professional registration is.

“Registration sets individuals apart from their non-registered colleagues, as every professionally registered engineer and technician has chosen to have their competence independently assessed. As a condition of maintaining registration, registrants commit to maintaining and enhancing that competence, as well as to working in an ethical and sustainable way. This means society and employers can have confidence in registrants as engineering professionals.”

To verify an engineer or technician’s Engineering Council registration, use our online tool RegCheck: www.engc.org.uk/regcheck

The Engineering Council licenses 39 professional engineering institutions (PEIs) to assess individuals for professional registration, which is open to any competent practising engineer or technician, with different levels and pathways to registration available. For your next steps to becoming professionally registered, see: www.engc.org.uk/professional-registration

There have been some changes to the titles available through the Engineering Council and how these are awarded. The International Engineering Technician (IntETn) is now being awarded through the Engineering Council for the first time, and some aspects of the European Engineer (EUR ING) title has recently changed.

The Engineering Council facilitates the mobility and recognition of engineers and technicians working internationally through partnerships and agreements to award international professional titles.

The ‘EUR ING Title’ is now known as the ‘EUR ING Certificate’. Delivered by ENGINEERS EUROPE, it is a guarantee of competence for professional engineers, facilitates their movement around the world, and encourages improvement in the quality of engineers by setting, monitoring, and reviewing standards.

To apply for EUR ING registration in the UK you must be a member of a professional engineering institution (PEI) and registered as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng) with the Engineering Council. Candidates will now be able to apply via a streamlined online process using a new e-tool on the ENGINEERS EUROPE website, with assessors able to approve applications more quickly.

The Certificate will be due for renewal after five years, at which point evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) will need to be submitted and assessed. There will also be a change in the fees.

Engineers registered as EUR ING before January 2023 will retain their title and remain on the Register. The requirement of CPD for renewal does not apply to them and neither does the higher renewal fee.

In the first quarter of 2023 there have already been more than 60 applications for this new title compared to 76 applications overall in 2022.

For further details of EUR ING how to obtain EUR ING status please see the International section of the Engineering Council website.

We are also pleased to announce that IntETn(UK) registration is now open to Engineering Technicians who are registered with the Engineering Council and who have a relevant qualification, the competence for independent practice as an engineering technician, and at least one year of subsequent engineering work experience, as well as a commitment to maintaining their CPD.

The International Register of Engineering Technicians (IntETn) was launched in 2016 by the Agreement for International Engineering Technicians (AIET); the Engineering Council is the UK member of this Agreement, and holds its own section of the IntETn register.

Registration as an IntETn is renewable every five years and requires demonstration of continued responsibility for relevant engineering work and CPD.

The Royal Academy of Engineering is launching a new, fully funded Inclusive Leadership Programme. They are seeking to partner with engineers in industry who wish to become prominent role models of inclusion and who will work collectively with their fellow awardees to advocate for widespread systemic change across the engineering profession towards greater inclusion.

Ambitious engineering organisations wishing to take part should put forward a team of four individuals from different levels of seniority across the business. Over 18 months, this team will receive a carefully curated programme of inclusive leadership training, peer support, mentoring, coaching and/or sponsorship, which has been designed to enable each team member to lead inclusive practice from their position within the business. With support from the Academy, teams will then put their learnings into action by designing and delivering an inclusion-focused project to increase the inclusivity of their organisation’s culture or the engineering products or services they deliver. This is a fantastic opportunity for participants to build their professional networks inside and outside of their own organisation as there will be many opportunities to meet with other awardees to discuss challenges and share learnings.

If you are an engineer or leader working in industry at large, you can form a team and apply via their website by the deadline of 10.00am on Wednesday 10 May 2023. You can find all necessary information (including detailed guidance notes) on their website here: https://raeng.org.uk/inclusive-leadership. You can submit any clarification questions to diversityteam@raeng.org.uk in the meantime – please start the subject line with ‘Inclusive Leadership’. They will also be holding an optional online Q&A session for interested applicants on Tuesday 25 April from 4.15pm – 5.00pm. If you would like to attend the Q&A session, please email shelley.stromdale@raeng.org.uk and you will be forwarded the calendar invitation.

Robot Day offers physical and virtual free events for all ages. A typical event involves activities such as building a robot, hands-on coding and hearing from inspirational experts. There also artistic performances such as craft and dance workshops, as well as range of static and moving exhibits

Volunteers are urgently needed to help at Coventry College on Saturday 18 March with stewarding, assisting exhibitors, manning reception, etc. Refreshment and a light lunch will be provided for all volunteers. If you can help please email dw@dwiller.com. For more information please visit http://robotday.co.uk.

The celebration of engineering excellence is at the heart of our work. We awards prizes and medals to recognise and reward the very best engineering talent, whose achievements have a huge impact on society.

Several Academy prizes and medals for 2023 are now open for nominations; further information on each award can be found on the Royal Academy of Engineering website here.

The closing date for all awards is 5pm on Friday 4 November 2022.

Professor Rowe will bring a fresh perspective to our students as well as inspiring our up-and-coming female engineers to work towards a successful career and play their part in closing the gender gap within the industry.

To mark her appointment, we chatted to Professor Rowe to find out a bit more about her, why she was drawn to TEDI-London and what she hopes to achieve within her role as Visiting Professor.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE WITHIN THE ENGINEERING INDUSTRY.

My career began 20 years ago in the cutlery industry in Sheffield, where I worked as a Production Engineer for a company designing and manufacturing precision blades and hand tools. The skills I learned in this role allowed me to transfer into medical devices and surgical instruments just a few years later; I fell in love with medical technology and haven’t looked back since.

My career has given me the opportunity to work on some incredible projects both within the UK and internationally. These have spanned multiple aspects of engineering processes, including design, production optimisation, user interface development, packaging and manufacturing transfer.

Five years ago, I set up my first company and now run RED Medtech, a medical technology consultancy specialising in the technical, regulatory, and quality assurance aspects of bringing medical devices and patient care products to market. We work with clients that design, develop and manufacture a broad range of products, from dressings and surgical implants to inhalers and insulin pumps.

WHAT DID YOU STUDY AND HOW DID YOU FIND IT?

My adventure into engineering was somewhat unconventional; I actually studied Art & Design, English Language, and Design Technology, only realising that I wanted to work in the engineering industry after attending an Insight course through the Smallpeice Trust and experiencing Industrial Design and Engineering at a university for a week. Although having a more arts and creative background isn’t typically seen in engineering students, or even accepted on many engineering degree programmes, I managed to earn a place at Sheffield Hallam University to study a BSc in Engineering Design & Innovation. With lots of hard work to improve my understanding of the mathematical aspects of the course, I graduated with a First-class degree.

Many of my modules were centred around projects, so I had to work together with my peers to design solutions to real-world problems. It was very interesting to see how well our different skillsets complemented one another and enhanced the quality of our work, helping me understand early on how valuable multidisciplinary teams are when it comes to problem solving and project management.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE ROLE OF VISITING PROFESSOR AT TEDI-LONDON?

I was initially introduced to TEDI-London when I was invited to participate in a workshop alongside other industry partners, focusing on curriculum development. I was keen to be an industry supporter; not only because exposure to industry helps students develop a better understanding of what future employers will expect from them, but also so that I could gain a better insight into engineering education and familiarise myself with the technologies students use. It was great to see how much the students have access to in terms of equipment and facilities, and the campus has a real buzz to it.

What’s more, there are a few similarities in the admissions and teaching processes between TEDI-London and my own university. I have fond memories from university, and it gave me the opportunity as well as the tools I needed to get into the engineering industry. So, for me, it stems from a genuine belief in TEDI-London’s mission and a desire to give the same opportunities to the next generation of engineers.

HOW DO YOU HOPE TO SUPPORT TEDI-LONDON IN YOUR ROLE AS VISITING PROFESSOR?

I’m hoping to help students reach their full potential, perhaps through delivering a workshop or supporting them during timetabled teaching sessions. If the opportunity arose, I would also be open to co-designing and delivering a med-tech project.

I believe that teaching students how to apply basic principles in a practical way is really crucial in engineering education. Not only does this help to secure their understanding of the key theory, but it also gives them the hands-on experience that they will need to thrive in the workplace. My own work requires me to apply theoretical knowledge from a range of engineering specialisms, from software to materials science, to support the design and development of healthcare products. I look forward to using this example to help the students build their understanding of how engineering theory and techniques apply within the context of commercial projects.

FINALLY, IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO WOMEN HOPING TO GET INTO ENGINEERING?

Honestly, I would just say go for it and don’t be put off by anyone that tries to tell you that engineering isn’t for girls! There is a world of opportunity, change and innovation out there and, as long as you’re willing to work hard, you can add immense value within the industry. I work with numerous other female engineers, technical professionals, CEOs and co-founders who inspire me and bring a refreshing balance and perspective.

For all up-and-coming engineers, regardless of gender or background, I would encourage you to start growing your support networks as early as possible. It also helps to join a professional engineering institution and support organisations, such as The Institution of Engineering Designers, The Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Women’s Engineering Society.