Honorary Fellowship

Peter, I sincerely hope that there is an error or misunderstanding in this. Perhaps you can take this up privately with Engineering Council, since it would be wrong to name worthy recipients of honours who you think were wrongly omitted from Engineering Council publicity, especially without their explicit consent.

 

I recall one our IET Fellows gaining an MBE a few years ago, he had given great service to the profession and society, by coincidence he also happened to be IEng registered, I don't recall the plaudits from Engineering Council being any less. If what you suggest has occurred, then I would be surprised and disappointed if there was any intent.  However, even the way in which you framed your comments  "registered engineers below CEng" illustrates the problem.  I don't know how the categories in UK-SPEC gained a “gold, silver and bronze” colour scheme, whether by accident or design, but I stand my comments that you quote, since they are simply a fact, although I did refer to the "Engineering Council Family".

 

Whether Engineering Council the (small) organisation, can affect the divisive and snobbish culture that has grown up, I rather doubt. Perhaps it has itself become steeped in this culture and is de-facto “The Chartered Engineer’s Council”.  This isn’t in my opinion necessarily a bad thing, but it leaves a large “gap”.  I’m sure that most of us in the IET would like to see large numbers of Technicians and “mainstream” Engineers (or “Technologists” if you prefer), enthusiastically engaging with recognition in the form of voluntary registration. Personally, I would also like to see many more progressing to Chartered which is considered to be “normal” in so many other professions. Perhaps Engineering Council’s publicity for “Chartered Building Engineer” recently was a signal that they agree?               

 

In a different thread, I drew attention to the International Engineering Alliance (Washington Accord) definition of an "Engineer", which would exclude many UK Chartered and most (but not all) Incorporated Engineers, classifying them instead as "Technologists" or “Technicians”.  I wonder how the many experienced Chartered Engineers would feel, if they were affected. Those who stay on the register will have their title protected, but what about age group peers, often high achieving who are regarded as “lower”, or those in upcoming generations divided and then snobbishly diminished on the basis of teenage mathematics examination scores?  Many of these supposed “second raters” are or will become successful leaders in the world of Engineering & Technology , but few seek or achieve recognition as a  “full engineer”.             

 

I find it sad that we can’t discuss Honorary Fellowships or for that matter any other form of enhanced recognition or status, without attracting controversy. In these forums criticism may come from a small number of people, but the feelings that they express often have a reasonable basis and are widely shared. Can we find a better way towards some kind of unity and equality of respect between different varieties of Engineers and Technicians, which is just “normal” in most 21^st Century workplaces, but put to one side in some “clubs” within the Engineering Council family? Perhaps the task is “impossible” and the different perspectives are just too diverse?  Every action creates an equal and opposite reaction, snobbery draws counter-snobbery, continue ad-infinitum!

Peter, I sincerely hope that there is an error or misunderstanding in this. Perhaps you can take this up privately with Engineering Council, since it would be wrong to name worthy recipients of honours who you think were wrongly omitted from Engineering Council publicity, especially without their explicit consent.

 

I recall one our IET Fellows gaining an MBE a few years ago, he had given great service to the profession and society, by coincidence he also happened to be IEng registered, I don't recall the plaudits from Engineering Council being any less. If what you suggest has occurred, then I would be surprised and disappointed if there was any intent.  However, even the way in which you framed your comments  "registered engineers below CEng" illustrates the problem.  I don't know how the categories in UK-SPEC gained a “gold, silver and bronze” colour scheme, whether by accident or design, but I stand my comments that you quote, since they are simply a fact, although I did refer to the "Engineering Council Family".

 

Whether Engineering Council the (small) organisation, can affect the divisive and snobbish culture that has grown up, I rather doubt. Perhaps it has itself become steeped in this culture and is de-facto “The Chartered Engineer’s Council”.  This isn’t in my opinion necessarily a bad thing, but it leaves a large “gap”.  I’m sure that most of us in the IET would like to see large numbers of Technicians and “mainstream” Engineers (or “Technologists” if you prefer), enthusiastically engaging with recognition in the form of voluntary registration. Personally, I would also like to see many more progressing to Chartered which is considered to be “normal” in so many other professions. Perhaps Engineering Council’s publicity for “Chartered Building Engineer” recently was a signal that they agree?               

 

In a different thread, I drew attention to the International Engineering Alliance (Washington Accord) definition of an "Engineer", which would exclude many UK Chartered and most (but not all) Incorporated Engineers, classifying them instead as "Technologists" or “Technicians”.  I wonder how the many experienced Chartered Engineers would feel, if they were affected. Those who stay on the register will have their title protected, but what about age group peers, often high achieving who are regarded as “lower”, or those in upcoming generations divided and then snobbishly diminished on the basis of teenage mathematics examination scores?  Many of these supposed “second raters” are or will become successful leaders in the world of Engineering & Technology , but few seek or achieve recognition as a  “full engineer”.             

 

I find it sad that we can’t discuss Honorary Fellowships or for that matter any other form of enhanced recognition or status, without attracting controversy. In these forums criticism may come from a small number of people, but the feelings that they express often have a reasonable basis and are widely shared. Can we find a better way towards some kind of unity and equality of respect between different varieties of Engineers and Technicians, which is just “normal” in most 21^st Century workplaces, but put to one side in some “clubs” within the Engineering Council family? Perhaps the task is “impossible” and the different perspectives are just too diverse?  Every action creates an equal and opposite reaction, snobbery draws counter-snobbery, continue ad-infinitum!