I work in the health and social care sector, so may have a slightly different perspective. 

I am not sure I fully understand the request. Whether it is asking about equality, diversity and inclusion; or also extends to the wider problem of recognition of engineers in society.

If we are talking about recognition compare the number of times that the British Medical Association (BMA) is mentioned in the media compared with the IET. Both have similar levels of membership, however, the latter hardly ever gets mentioned. You can also look at the section on the BBC website titled Science & Nature and count how many engineering articles are posted - plenty on nature, climate change not so much on how technology and engineering can address the problems. In fact technology and engineering is more likely to be positioned as the polluter and causes of climate change rather than potential solutions.

Climate change cannot be addressed by behavior change alone, and we need engineering solutions that protect the planet. Engineering solutions require engineers. The best engineers to address tomorrows problems will come from those entering the jobs market today.

Health and social care is in crisis. The NHS has done a good job of keeping people alive, however, this has increased the number of people living with multiple long term conditions. Whilst advances in medicines have some impact, there is an increased need for medical devices and assistive technologies…all of which require engineering, and engineers.

There is a fantastic story to tell, across a wide range of problems facing society, which can be addressed with engineering solutions. Government and the media need to raise the profile of these opportunities and break down the barriers which stop companies developing solutions in this country rather than others. If we had the medical devices and assistive technologies we would not need to increase National Insurance tax.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is a problem of organisational culture not the individual. In terms of attracting employees (either to the career or an individual organisation) it is the perception of the culture that either attracts or repels individuals. It is the organisation that needs to be, and be seen to be, in the forefront of addressing these issues. They need to publish clear organisational policies setting out how they will improve standards and senior managers need to stand behind and implement them rather than pay lip service. The IET can help by setting out what good policy looks like and how it can be sensitively implemented, particularly given some long held and entrenched views. The IET can also award recognition to organisations employing best practice to help with recruitment. Engineering has its own culture, it needs an organisation that understands that culture to lead in the development of appropriate policies that will work.

Apologies for the rant, it sometimes helps to write these things down.

Speaking as a Christian, I don't like the IET's lurch into political correctness. I am feeling marginalised and that my views don't matter. PS Religion or Belief is also one of the protected characteristics.

I quite agree with you Matthew, the IET is more like a student union these days with their relentless ‘Woke' nonsense, I am seriously thinking of not renewing my membership and leaving after 30 years, I don't recognise it anymore as an engineering institution.

At school in the 60s I was with a variety of students from around the world - all male. The sixth form however was shared with an all girls school.

At university, studying Electronics & Electrical Engineering, again there was a variety of students from around the world - all male. However, when doing my PhD there was a very interesting Cantonese lady from Malaysia with us - we eventually got married and are still together. I attracted her interest initially because I knew where Malaysia is.

At work I had some interesting experiences that made me realise that we need a range of people to enhance our engineering capability.

In the earl 80s, we recruited someone who just sat in the corner of the room and said nothing. One person found out how to communicate with him and together they formed a successful small team designing cyber secure power supplies for all of the companies products.

Over time I met and worked with blind people, deaf people, transgender people and people in wheelchairs - all engineers who contributed a lot to the business. Actually when I worked with these people I didn't notice their differences.

During the six years before my retirement, our Chief Engineer was a woman and my manager was a woman.

These are just examples - my work environment was diverse but could be more so.

I think that the IET should be encouraging people from diverse backgrounds that engineering can be very interesting and rewarding while at the same time encouraging companies to recruit a diverse group of people by illustrating the benefits with evidence.

My concern is that we need to include those people who think differently to us. If we can find out how to communicate with them then maybe they have plenty to give to engineering. At the moment we seem to try to control them by giving them medicine.

We also need to give engineers a role in society. Most people have no idea what an engineer is, so it is a closed group. Government could benefit enormously from more engineers being involved. For example, I insist on being called Dr or Peter - I don't like being called Mr but  a lot of people don't know that engineers can be doctors (not medical doctors, i.e. medics). Even worse, nurses with PhDs are still nurse.

MatthewG: 
 

I am feeling marginalised and that my views don't matter. 

This thread is about members being asked to express their views. Hopefully you've volunteered to be one of those interviewed as part of this piece of work? (See Natalie's post above.)

Thanks,

Andy

Rob Eagle: 
 

I quite agree with you Matthew, the IET is more like a student union these days with their relentless ‘Woke' nonsense, I am seriously thinking of not renewing my membership and leaving after 30 years, I don't recognise it anymore as an engineering institution.

I'm sure the IET will carry on fine without you.

Simon Barker:  What an unpleasant thing to say to a fellow engineer.

As I have stated before on this thread, I find that left leaning people, people who feel that they occupy the moral high ground, are the most intolerant of other people’s opinion.

Rob Eagle: 
 

Simon Barker:  What an unpleasant thing to say to a fellow engineer.

As I have stated before on this thread, I find that left leaning people, people who feel that they occupy the moral high ground, are the most intolerant of other people’s opinion.

I have a serious dislike of the dog whistle word (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_whistle_(politics)) “woke”.  So far as I can tell, it means “not sufficiently prejudiced”.

Well, I would say a “dog whistle word” is a dog whistle word In its self.

‘Woke’ is not a dog whistle word at all, in fact I believe it was coined by the ‘Woke’ themselves, it is hardly derogatory as it implies an awakening to an ideology, an ideology that I do not support but nevertheless.

Do you see that you’re doing just what I accuse left leaning people of doing, you’re trying to discredit me.

@Dawn Fitt, thanks for sharing the RAEng review.  I note that the review is now 5 years old.  Would be interesting to see an update - what has improved or declined……… otherwise it just becomes “yet another review” that has zero impact?