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Have Faith in the IET

Paul Meenan
So there, I said it.


Over the years I have been doubtfull as to the direction and culture at the IET. 


I started life as a sparky from Tottenham, I was placed straight into the managment of jobs and worked my way up the ladder as you do...


I watched updates to the wiring regulations change for what is seen by a majority (of the south east of the UKs shop floor sparks) as not for the betterment of the trade and devaluing an industry.


I joined the IET over 10 years ago as a member and started filling in the forms for IEng. Jobs being what they are nowadays (fire fighting poor design and programmes) I never got round to finishing it, I never had a mentor either, I am, and was deemed too controversial to support I suppose. But needed by employers to fix/solve problems .


Still this week I just got my confimation of CEng status....(yes yes yes yes) after the hardest form filling and amazing interview ever. The best part if I have no degree, no HNC/HND just 20 years EXPERIENCE!


Am I proud hell yeah, was it worth it, hell yeah, what will I do next? well I want to inspire kids from council estate that they too can break down the nay sayers and attain the highest level of their trade, I speak regulary at technical seminars and industry conferences and want to give back.....


That what the IET has given me the confidence, ability and gaul I never knew I had in me.. I am hoping theywill let me now be an ENG Tech assessor and a PRA / PRI if they will have me... and yes I have every confidence that eventually (and it is happening now) they will see the damage done to the trade by last few ammednments to BS 7671 and install a committe of non-commercially influenced shop floor representatives to direct it to the land of common sense. 


The interviewers were great and office support fantastic...


So the mesage is get involved and feed back in constructive if not direct way, and have faith in the IET.
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    Warmest congratulations Paul, a well-deserved achievement.


    I share some similarities with your experience having started my "career" as a humble metal basher (of stainless steel urinals and toilets for prisons and the like!), unable to attend University (my folks told me to get a job and contribute to the household which I understood and didn't begrudge, after all "university just wasn't 'done' in our family"). So I read lots, practiced much, learned from others and my mistakes, and over the ensuing years, climbed the ladder, fire-fighting and problem solving as you did, proving my worth as a competent and successful engineering product designer. Ironically, despite lacking academic qualifications, I have now also lectured at some of the best engineering universities in the world including Cambridge, Loughborough, Helsinki, Taipei, Rochester NY, Massachusetts, etc. on my approach, to engineering product design to aspiring engineers and designers.


    I only joined the IET last year (2016) though I toyed with the idea for years (decades actually), filling in forms and the like several times, although in the back of my mind I harboured the (false) belief you needed a degree. I have nothing but the highest regard for the IET and that continues to grow! It is an amazing PEI.


    And just this week, I got the news I have long desired - and boy, am I extremely happy; no, I am elated and feel more accomplished now than from any of the projects I have contributed to the success of, to learn that my application for CEng was successful.
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    Warmest congratulations Paul, a well-deserved achievement.


    I share some similarities with your experience having started my "career" as a humble metal basher (of stainless steel urinals and toilets for prisons and the like!), unable to attend University (my folks told me to get a job and contribute to the household which I understood and didn't begrudge, after all "university just wasn't 'done' in our family"). So I read lots, practiced much, learned from others and my mistakes, and over the ensuing years, climbed the ladder, fire-fighting and problem solving as you did, proving my worth as a competent and successful engineering product designer. Ironically, despite lacking academic qualifications, I have now also lectured at some of the best engineering universities in the world including Cambridge, Loughborough, Helsinki, Taipei, Rochester NY, Massachusetts, etc. on my approach, to engineering product design to aspiring engineers and designers.


    I only joined the IET last year (2016) though I toyed with the idea for years (decades actually), filling in forms and the like several times, although in the back of my mind I harboured the (false) belief you needed a degree. I have nothing but the highest regard for the IET and that continues to grow! It is an amazing PEI.


    And just this week, I got the news I have long desired - and boy, am I extremely happy; no, I am elated and feel more accomplished now than from any of the projects I have contributed to the success of, to learn that my application for CEng was successful.
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