IET MEMBERSHIP

I would imagine the vast majority of craft electrical technicians and electricians just wouldnt consider joining the IET. For the simple reason, what is in it for them? they will be looking for subject matter and info that helps them in their day to day job and I dont think that can be found anywhere on the IET site, albeit many threads and subjects in this forum may help them.

Im proud to be a member of the IET happy to use the post nominal letters after my name, why?? because coming thru my own craft apprenticeship, and then further and higher education, continued work experience, promotion etc and of course CPD and specialising in a niche area of work Im proud looking back to when I started as a 16 year old apprentice in 1981. However I was one of only two apprentices from that year intake (76 apprentices) that took that journey. With my own self employment and practice being a member of the IET its expected by my clients and of course indemnity insurers.

A few years ago I volunteered to help with the IET Electrician ENG Tech!!!!! How many of you know this exists? idea was and believe still is that that distinct recognition would help electricians, I was all for it, but tell me where has it been promoted, who is actively engaging contractors, maintenace companies and facilities companies? Is the scheme promoted in industry magazines or journals? No I dont think it is. I was positive about it and felt I could give input to it, having taken that long jorney myself, but like all things at the IET, it was likley written by somebody with a Phd in electrical engineering that has no concept of the contracting industry, just the description and forms would put any level 3 spark off applying, I think since its went onstream, I have only reviewed less than six applications.

As a few others have said the IET comes across as being aloof and at the forefront of engineering discoveries, not so much focussed on the electrical contracting sector, it is of course a numbers game, there are far more electricians out there at level 3 than engineers with a masters degree, so do you target a smaller audience who pay a premium, or a larger audience but far less charge scale, the money/profit being made in the volume of people you attract, so stack them high sell them cheap.

Local branch meetings I follow, but never have attended one given sibject matter just doesnt interest me, nor would they attract and decent spark.

Electricians by nature want to improve themselves, understand clearly implementation of regs and standards but in a manner that suits their industry and language, and the IET just isnt in that ballpark. Other trade organisations, contractors associations and trade schemes all offer technical helplines ( Varying levels of service on that subject), monthly or querterly magazines etc.

Every electrician in the UK knows about the IET because they write the regs BS7671, they think its members are old pompous engineers that have never been on a "Real" site or worked on the tools, that those writing regs do so to make their working life difficult and more expensive because of the retraining and upskilling when regs change. Its a huge barrier that needs to be broken, but that wont happen given the media of the IET, its written format etc etc.

GTB

I would imagine the vast majority of craft electrical technicians and electricians just wouldnt consider joining the IET. For the simple reason, what is in it for them? they will be looking for subject matter and info that helps them in their day to day job and I dont think that can be found anywhere on the IET site, albeit many threads and subjects in this forum may help them.

Im proud to be a member of the IET happy to use the post nominal letters after my name, why?? because coming thru my own craft apprenticeship, and then further and higher education, continued work experience, promotion etc and of course CPD and specialising in a niche area of work Im proud looking back to when I started as a 16 year old apprentice in 1981. However I was one of only two apprentices from that year intake (76 apprentices) that took that journey. With my own self employment and practice being a member of the IET its expected by my clients and of course indemnity insurers.

A few years ago I volunteered to help with the IET Electrician ENG Tech!!!!! How many of you know this exists? idea was and believe still is that that distinct recognition would help electricians, I was all for it, but tell me where has it been promoted, who is actively engaging contractors, maintenace companies and facilities companies? Is the scheme promoted in industry magazines or journals? No I dont think it is. I was positive about it and felt I could give input to it, having taken that long jorney myself, but like all things at the IET, it was likley written by somebody with a Phd in electrical engineering that has no concept of the contracting industry, just the description and forms would put any level 3 spark off applying, I think since its went onstream, I have only reviewed less than six applications.

As a few others have said the IET comes across as being aloof and at the forefront of engineering discoveries, not so much focussed on the electrical contracting sector, it is of course a numbers game, there are far more electricians out there at level 3 than engineers with a masters degree, so do you target a smaller audience who pay a premium, or a larger audience but far less charge scale, the money/profit being made in the volume of people you attract, so stack them high sell them cheap.

Local branch meetings I follow, but never have attended one given sibject matter just doesnt interest me, nor would they attract and decent spark.

Electricians by nature want to improve themselves, understand clearly implementation of regs and standards but in a manner that suits their industry and language, and the IET just isnt in that ballpark. Other trade organisations, contractors associations and trade schemes all offer technical helplines ( Varying levels of service on that subject), monthly or querterly magazines etc.

Every electrician in the UK knows about the IET because they write the regs BS7671, they think its members are old pompous engineers that have never been on a "Real" site or worked on the tools, that those writing regs do so to make their working life difficult and more expensive because of the retraining and upskilling when regs change. Its a huge barrier that needs to be broken, but that wont happen given the media of the IET, its written format etc etc.

GTB

Yes GTB, I agree with all of your points above and am trying to get one or two of them addressed via another route. A number of us have identified a huge hole in both the qualifications and approvals, directly related to competence, and wish to address this fairly significantly. This is the position the IET needs to take, to regain the electrical leadership position it used to have. Most of the regulations changes come from the IEC or CENELEC, the room for maneuver in that area is fairly narrow, but not in Government interaction and competence and qualifications.