CEng Application Process - Feedback / Discussion

Some interesting issues arise from this emphasis. Careers with one organisation are rarer than they were in the past, but there are still many relatively stable organisations of sufficient scale and scope to offer long-term career development and progression. I came across an example today of someone who had progressed in a major business from Apprentice Electrician to a Director.  Long-service is less common than in the past, but far from rare. There is evidence that recent graduates are less likely to be loyal to an employer than those trained via apprenticeships for example, although there may be many contributing social factors, such as debts to pay?  However I couldn’t disagree with the statement In this modern world, you have to always review your career / learning options in order to stay relevant and useful. I certainly do not wish to be caught out by having the wrong skills and knowledge as the ways of the world changes.  

 

In a previous role, my organisation had some mixed  experiences of employees contact with professional engineering institutions. We invested more heavily than competitors in training engineers and suffered from “poaching”. Because the mind-set of the typical PEI was heavily biased towards design, in preference to project engineering (our major activity), PEI representatives advised employees to “get a job with a design consultancy, if you want to be Chartered” or “do a Masters Degree” at a time when total commitment within the workplace was needed. The PEI concerned (not The IET), like many had relatively low respect for activities that might be considered IEng. Some who ignored their advice progressed rapidly to senior management.

 

It is perhaps for these reasons that there are large swathes of industry where members of The Engineering Council family are struggling to demonstrate relevance and added value. Therefore my challenge to all new registrants would be; how to you intend to add value to your employer or customer proposition if self-employed?

 

For some employers this may include having more Chartered Engineers on their organisational CV , but there are many other ways that someone who has “gone the extra mile” to become a committed professional can add value. This takes me into the newest of the competences E5 or Ethics, which might lead me towards questions like; how to serve the profession, rather than any self-serving one-upmanship over other Engineers and Technicians. I’m afraid that too often in the past this has been the emphasis for some. Putting something back is often the best form of development, so "I want to volunteer to help guide or assess others coming through", would be a great answer for me!

 

Jason, making a constructive contribution in this forum as you have, illustrates just this sort of attitude. I hope that you get good news soon and have further opportunities to contribute. 

Some interesting issues arise from this emphasis. Careers with one organisation are rarer than they were in the past, but there are still many relatively stable organisations of sufficient scale and scope to offer long-term career development and progression. I came across an example today of someone who had progressed in a major business from Apprentice Electrician to a Director.  Long-service is less common than in the past, but far from rare. There is evidence that recent graduates are less likely to be loyal to an employer than those trained via apprenticeships for example, although there may be many contributing social factors, such as debts to pay?  However I couldn’t disagree with the statement In this modern world, you have to always review your career / learning options in order to stay relevant and useful. I certainly do not wish to be caught out by having the wrong skills and knowledge as the ways of the world changes.  

 

In a previous role, my organisation had some mixed  experiences of employees contact with professional engineering institutions. We invested more heavily than competitors in training engineers and suffered from “poaching”. Because the mind-set of the typical PEI was heavily biased towards design, in preference to project engineering (our major activity), PEI representatives advised employees to “get a job with a design consultancy, if you want to be Chartered” or “do a Masters Degree” at a time when total commitment within the workplace was needed. The PEI concerned (not The IET), like many had relatively low respect for activities that might be considered IEng. Some who ignored their advice progressed rapidly to senior management.

 

It is perhaps for these reasons that there are large swathes of industry where members of The Engineering Council family are struggling to demonstrate relevance and added value. Therefore my challenge to all new registrants would be; how to you intend to add value to your employer or customer proposition if self-employed?

 

For some employers this may include having more Chartered Engineers on their organisational CV , but there are many other ways that someone who has “gone the extra mile” to become a committed professional can add value. This takes me into the newest of the competences E5 or Ethics, which might lead me towards questions like; how to serve the profession, rather than any self-serving one-upmanship over other Engineers and Technicians. I’m afraid that too often in the past this has been the emphasis for some. Putting something back is often the best form of development, so "I want to volunteer to help guide or assess others coming through", would be a great answer for me!

 

Jason, making a constructive contribution in this forum as you have, illustrates just this sort of attitude. I hope that you get good news soon and have further opportunities to contribute.