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  • What's so special about LinkedIn?

    I must confess, I am a regular user of LinkedIn for my professional networking and wonder why I don't come to the IET more frequently... perhaps because it is always a little quiet on here... Any thoughts on how we can promote the MyCommunity forums would be much appreciated. We A RE the leading professional institution, so what do we need to do to be the #1 networking media for Engineers and the wider business community? If I don't get at least 10 replies we are missing the point somehow.... grrrr. Kind regards Lee Wood MSc CEng MIET

    Lee Wood
    Lee Wood

  • Tomorrow's Engineers Week

    The IET is proud to support Tomorrow's Engineers Week (4-8 November 2013) - an opportunity to find out more about the exciting careers you could have as an engineer. Further information...

  • Professional Registration

    Professional registration is an important milestone for any engineer or technician. It establishes their proven knowledge, understanding and competence. The IET is licensed by the Engineering Council. Further information...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Parliamentary pledge for more engineers

    MPs sign IET pledge to support engineering in their constituencies. On 22 October, 67 cross-party UK MPs signed the IET’s pledge to support young engineers, especially women, in their constituencies. The event was held at the Houses of Parliament and hosted by Stephen McPartland MP. The IET has a strong relationship with Stephen as his Stevenage constituency is home to the IET’s Michael Faraday House. Other MPs who attended the event included shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint MP, fellow of the IET and shadow cabinet minister Chi Onwurah, and Duncan Hames MP, parliamentary private secretary to Nick Clegg. For further information

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • 2013 Annual Open Meeting Presentations

    As well as the normal Safety Community business, our Annual Open Meeting this year included a series of short presentation about developments in the field, given by members of the Community's Steering Group. Copies of some of the presentations are included in our files area, and linked here for convenience. Main AOM presentation IEC 61508 Proven in Use - Audrey Canning IEC 61508 Human Factors Integration - Carl Sandom Recent developments in the automotive industry - Ireri Ibarra

    James Inge
    James Inge

  • Radio Society of Great Britain lecture 5 December - book now!

    The Radio Society of Great Britain 1913-2013: the first 100 years of amateur radio - and the future? To mark the RSGB’s centenary year and its early history of close association with the IET, a joint meeting is to be held on Thursday, 5 December 2013, 6:30-9pm (arrival after 6pm please) at Imperial College, South Kensington Campus (Room 308, Huxley). This free event is organized by the IET History of Technology Network in conjunction with the RSGB. It is part of RSGB’s Centenary Events programme that reaches out to the professional science and engineering community and will be their concluding Centenary Event of the year. It is an opportunity to learn more about the amateur contribution past, present and perhaps in the near future, to radio communications. The meeting will comprise two lectures…

    Anne Locker
    Anne Locker

  • How To Prepare For Mentoring Meetings

    The IET expect mentees to drive the mentoring relationship and take control of their own learning. There are some key things that you can do to ensure you, as a mentee, get the most out of your mentoring relationship. Prior to the first meeting The first meeting with your mentor is the most important one as it can set the scene for your whole relationship. There are a number of considerations for your first meeting that you won’t have to consider for subsequent meetings. These considerations include: - Being clear on what you want to accomplish with the mentor and your mentoring goals. - Preparing some key questions for getting to know your mentor and think about what you want to tell your mentor about yourself. - Making a list of what you need help with and printing or preparing any relevant…

    Kathryn Bain
    Kathryn Bain

  • Female Structural Engineer And IET YWE Finalist, Roma Agrawal, Joins The Daily Politics Discussion On Getting More Women Into Engineering

    Female Structural Engineer and IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year finalist, Roma Agrawal, joins the Daily Politics discussion on getting more women into engineering. She is on at 36 minutes. It is a fantastic discussion and highlights the fact that we do need to do more to encourage female engineers into the profession and alter perceptions. These are just some of the reasons that The IET Women's Network was set up. For further information...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • The Daphne Jackson Trust - Career Break

    The Daphne Jackson Trust is a returners scheme helping those with a background in science, engineering and technology to return after a career break. The Daphne Jackson Trust is an independent charity which offers flexible, part-time, paid fellowships to scientists, engineers and technologists who have taken a career break of two or more years for family, caring or health reasons. Its work has been highly praised by Government and it is acknowledged as running the foremost returners scheme in the country. Fellowships are normally two years in length and based at universities and industrial laboratories throughout the UK. Fellows undertake a challenging research project and a retraining programme. The Trust has a 96% success rate in returning Fellows to science, engineering or technology careers…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • 2013 Safety Conference Videos

    The 8th International Conference on System Safety, incorporating the Cyber Security Conference , was held from 15 - 17 October 2013 in Cardiff, UK. If you didn't manage to make it to the conference, you can still see many of the presentations via IET.tv . Read on to see the list of video presentations available. Session Speaker Title Keynote 1 Les Hatton Some reflections on software systems: where does safety stop and security start? Keynote 2 Ian Bryant Who Wants Stovepipes? Keynote 3 Tony Cant System Safety; Where Next? Keynote 4 Rich Jones Enhancing Safety Performance in the Civil Aviation Sector 1.a.1 Hugh Boyes Cyber security of intelligent buildings: A review 1.a.2 Richard Piggin Process safety and cyber security convergence: lessons identified, but not learnt? 2.a.1 Hassan El-Sayed Assessment…

    James Inge
    James Inge

  • In-Company Training

    This week, I met up with our Professional Skills Trainer, Louise Tythe , to find out about the benefits of in-company training. I asked Louise for her top tips for both companies organising in-house training and staff attending the courses so I could share them with you here. The benefits of in-company training If you have several staff wanting to do the same training course, then running it at your company premises is often a more cost effective option. It can save time away from the workplace and cut travel costs. The really great thing about in-house training is that the course can be designed to meet the specific needs of the delegates and the company. “Take time to explain your training needs in detail to the trainer. Request a course outline from the trainer and work with them until you…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • Inspiring the Future - Highlighting Engineering to School Children

    Hello, I came across this initiative that aims to highlight specific careers to school children and I wanted to share it with everybody. It was actually brought to my attendtion by one of the male members of this group - Thank you Stephen! If any of you are interested in giving an hours talk to a school, once per year, on what it is to work in engineering / technology, this would be a very good place to start. Inspiring the Future Kind regards, Jo

  • Congratulations to the 2013 Diamond Jubilee Scholars!

    The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) can today reveal that £2 million is being invested in the UK’s up and coming engineering talent. The Diamond Jubilee Scholarships have been awarded to 540 of the UK’s top students from 382 schools who are starting an engineering degree at 27 UK based universities this autumn. The students are the first cohort to win these prestigious scholarships and had to meet the criteria of achieving 3 ‘A’s at A Level, 3 'A' grade Advanced Highers, 5 'A' grade Highers or an International Baccalaureate Diploma at 36 points or above and join an IET accredited engineering or technology degree course in Autumn 2013. Each student will be receiving an IET scholarship of £1000 per year, up to a maximum of £3000 for Bachelors students and £4000 for MEng students…

  • Surrey's New Season Begins On A High Note ......

    On 18 September the University of Surrey played host to the first IET Surrey Network's event for the 2013-14 season. Close on a hundred people packed the Lakeside Restaurant in the Business School of Management for a lecture on the structural design of the Shard in London. The event, introduced by Surrey Chair Amy Longo, featured a presentation by Dr Richard Mawer from Shard designers WSP. Richard, a consultant structural engineer, played a major role in the structural engineering process for the 306 metre high building which is now an unmistakable part of the London skyline. His presentation featured the engineering challenges that had to be solved to carry out this mega-cost project. It certainly captivated the imagination of the audience who provided Richard with a barage of questions in…

    Mike Prewett
    Mike Prewett

  • IET Solent Network Young Professionals

    The Young Professionals team is primarily concerned with items which are most relevant to young people, from their student days into their early careers. The main Solent Network committee ensure that the resources are in place to support a programme specifically designed for this younger audience. The Young Professionals team also work closely with the 'IET on Campus' groups now established in the three universities in Portsmouth and Southampton.     Young Professionals Team Dean O'Brien Craig Moor   YP Team Leader Team Member       Events Programme Events are arranged in Southampton Solent University, the University of Southampton and the University of Portsmouth. These are tailored to the needs of the 'IET on Campus' group in each university and are advertised within the universities, primarily…

    Joe Dunn
    Joe Dunn

  • The Benefits of a Management Qualification

    Many engineers or technicians will find that career progression brings with it a level of management responsibility. Developing the knowledge and skills to succeed in such a role is an important part of continuing professional development. A management qualification gives the practical skills and knowledge to undertake or develop into a management role which allows engineers to not only consolidate previous experience but also maintain competence. A recognised qualification can help to maintain employability in a competitive market as it provides evidence of this knowledge for promotion or transition into a new role. It can also boost your confidence in management relationships and give greater self-awareness as you carry out this type of role. IET/CMI Management Courses The IET has joined…

  • Urban System Collaborative Meeting

    This Tuesday I was swept along by the cool Autumnal wind to Imperial College London where around fifty people tackled hot topics around the Adaptive City, the Personalised City, the Supportive City, and Perceptions of Quality of Life. Discussion spanned changing city governance models, steps towards heightened social empowerment, and passive / active interaction with the city – to name just a few! The overall buzz and engagement levels of the Urban System Collaborative Meeting has set the bar high – what BE topics are you engaging with? Would you like to help champion a Sector Hot Topic? Do you have something to share as a Sector Insight or Case Study? Have you read something scintillating and want to share it with your peers? You can contact me at zsquires@theiet.org and via LinkedIn uk.linkedin…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

  • It’s a noisy world

    Sound is a funny thing. Take for example, the sound of crashing waves on a sea shore. Many of us think of this sound with affection. Memories of summer holidays, childhood, etc. When we hear the sea we are usually uplifted and it can generally be associated with happy thoughts. Perhaps not the same if you live on the coast though and are trying to get to sleep on a stormy night. Then there is the sound of seagulls. I’m sure that will divide opinion! Generally though we think of natural sounds as pleasant, calming, exciting even. I don’t recall hearing anyone refer to a natural sound as noise. …other than the seagulls! That’s not always the case in the built environment though. I have to say I find the sounds of a city, first thing in the morning quite pleasant, but by mid-day, traffic noise…

    Julie
    Julie

  • Tourists, the Tube and new training shoes

    As I travel to London regularly, I inevitably spend time on the Underground. Perhaps not enough time though to have become one of those people who sees it a necessary but rather unpleasant part of their daily commute. It’s certainly as diverse a mix of people as you could ever find and all integrating in one way or another with the built environment. I’m sure the same can be said of any subterranean transit system around the world. Two things generally go through my mind when using the Underground. Firstly why can’t we harness all that wasted energy that makes us feel even more uncomfortable down there? Secondly, why do tourists wear new training shoes? Granted the two questions are pretty diverse and you’re probably wondering what goes through my mind. That’s a fair point, but in some ways…

    Julie
    Julie

  • Built or Natural – Is it the same thing?

    It’s easy to take the built environment for granted. Our houses, offices, road network, public transport, retail outlets and leisure facilities are accepted by many as the landscape in which they live. As Chair of the Built Environment sector, my first blog really ought to focus on these things. So I’m going to talk about the Lake District. I love the Lake District. It has wonderful scenery and a calming influence on me whenever I go there. I should go there more often. Okay, maybe the weather could sometimes be better but as a Yorkshireman, I should be used to rain. We think of the Lake District and any other national park as a natural environment, the antithesis of the concrete and steel which supports most of our daily lives and yet its ‘natural’ description depends really on how you define…

    Julie
    Julie

  • Reuben Medding awarded Sir Lionel Hooke Award for 2013

    With IET President Andy Hopper briefly in Melbourne to deliver A Perspective On Innovation , it was the perfect opportunity for him to present the 2013 Sir Lionel Hooke Award to this year's winner, Reuben Medding. The Sir Lionel Hooke Award is presented in honour of one of Australia’s great electronics and telecommunications engineers, and is one of the highest honours that the IET in Australia bestows. The award considers eminence and distinction in the fields of electrical, electronic, communication, computer systems engineering, or in related fields that may develop in the future. It also takes into account services to the community, and assistance to educational and public institutions. Reuben Medding was nominated for the Sir Lionel Hooke Award by his peers for his outstanding contribution…

    Rowan P
    Rowan P

  • IET President delivers his Perspective On Innovation

    IET President Andy Hopper visited the IET Victoria Local Network on the 12th September 2013 to deliver a presentation on innovation as part of the EEEVic lecture series. This lecture series has been in existence for over 30 years and sees the Victorian sections of IEEE, Engineers Australia ITEE College and IET collaborate to jointly host lectures every month. Andy presented "A Perspective on Innovation" (presentation available here) . In his presentation, Professor Andy Hopper gave the audience an assessment of the global context of innovation as an important topic being discussed by companies and governments in their quest for economic growth. He followed with examples of innovating companies based on his personal experience from both his academic and industrial careers. His presentation was…

    Rowan P
    Rowan P

  • YPS Leadership Program Launch

    As an opportunity to provide engineering students from universities across Victoria with project management and teamwork/leadership experience while being involved with the IET, the Young Professionals Section (YPS) Leadership Program kicked off on Saturday 31 August at the State Library in Melbourne. Interest was overwhelming for the program, but only the top sixteen applicants made it through in the end. Over the next six to eight months, participants will be paired with a mentor from the YPS committee and develop their soft skills, whilst helping organise and run events for the YPS in Victoria. They will learn the skills necessary to successfully manage projects and how to apply them in their studies and future careers. There is also an Event Proposal competition with a $500 prize on offer…

    Rowan P
    Rowan P

  • Congratulations To Our 2013 Scholarship Winners:

    The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) can today reveal that £2 million is being invested in the UK’s up and coming engineering talent. The Diamond Jubilee Scholarships have bee n awarded to 540 of the UK’s top students from 382 schools who are starting an engineering degree at 27 UK based universities this autumn. Out of the 540 Award winners, a whopping 19% were women! Congratulations to one and all. Read more...

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member

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