* * * * * * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010


The Daily Telegraph THE NATIONAL


ENGINEERING&CONSTRUCTION RECRUITMENTEXHIBITION * * * | III


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Cutting-edge skills: at work on BP’s Exploration & Production Excellence Programme; below from top, London’s Olympic Park takes shape; Continuing Professional Development at BAE Systems


Stay at the top of your game Those keen to update their skills will benefit from professional development opportunities offered by institutions and employers, confirms Esmé McAvoy


Few sectors speed along at the pace of engineering. Workers must constantly update their skills in a process of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to ensure their knowledge is current. It’s a career of lifelong learning: estimates by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) suggest five to 10 per cent of an engineer’s knowledge becomes obsolete every year. This year’s National Engineering & Construction Recruitment Exhibition (NECR) will host a Professional Development Hub, where delegates from the Engineering Council and at least 12 engineering institutions will provide a one-stop shop of information on CPD and the process of obtaining chartered status. The Hub shows how seriously the industry takes the provision of ongoing training and broadening the knowledge base of its members. “Formal recognition of competence is important for today’s engineers in order to differentiate themselves and face the challenges of a highly competitive, ever-changing industry,” says Jon Prichard, CEO of the Engineering Council, UK regulatory body for the engineering profession.


»PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION


Applying for chartered status is a must for engineers who are serious about their career. The Engineering Council holds the national registers of four professional titles, including Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Incorporated Engineer (IEng). It sets the standards of competence required for these titles and then licenses engineering institutions to award them to members who pass muster. Institutions such as the Engineering Council often offer a student-level membership, enabling undergraduates


to attend lectures, network and receive career advice. Some companies, including BAE Systems, which fully funds the process of professional registration, pay for membership. Leading prime contractor and complex systems integrator General Dynamics UK, which employs more than 1,600 highly skilled people in the UK, helps cover annual subscriptions. “We support our engineers to continue their professional development, funding them to join industry organisations,” says Neil Taylor, head of engineering at General Dynamics. “We see it as an essential part of our business that they have the latest knowledge and stay at the cutting edge of the profession.” Belonging to a professional engineering body is also a great way to get support and advice on CPD, and can help engineers push forward in their careers. Most institutions publish a magazine for members, with industry news, and run online forums where they can share expertise. They also hold informal social networking events, plus lectures and workshops, which are often free to attend. Engineers who take CPD seriously


invariably rise up the career ladder more rapidly than their peers, achieving expert status in their field. Chartered status can also help engineers reap financial rewards. A 2007 survey by the Engineering and Technology Board found that average salaries for chartered engineers were significantly higher than those of their non-chartered counterparts, and were 40 per cent higher by the age of 45.


»CPD IN THE WORKPLACE


Any reputable engineering company will conduct regular staff appraisals in which employees can discuss their


CPD options. Many firms go further, however, by offering formal training programmes and funding for staff to attend CPD courses of their choice. BP’s new Exploration & Production


(E&P) Excellence Programme provides structured career “roadmaps” for some 8,000 employees at the mid- point in their careers to help them plan their professional progression. This year BAE Systems signed a unique agreement with the Engineering Council and six of the UK’s leading engineering institutions to provide a clearer framework for the training, development and professional registration of its 18,000 engineers. According to Tammy Lilly, head of engineering capability for BAE Systems’ Surface Ships division, the collaboration will create a company-wide steering group dedicated to professional registration, providing a single point of entry for institutions to engage with BAE Systems engineers. The Royal Navy also offers impressive training schemes and ongoing CPD for its 6,000 engineers. “Our training is accredited by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Royal Aeronautical Society, and offers streamlined routes to IEng and CEng registration,” says Lt-Cdr Paul Reeves of the Royal Navy’s specialist outreach engineering division. “We have an in-house mentoring scheme where junior officers can receive career guidance from more experienced officers.”


»TRENDS IN TRAINING


One trend is the growing need for employees to broaden their skills base beyond pure engineering. “Employers


are looking for their engineers to be business leaders,” says Neil Roberts, marketing executive for engineering recruitment expert Thomas Telford. “There is growing demand for our short courses that develop the commercial, financial and consulting skills that complement the technical knowledge of civil engineers.” Engineering also has a significant role to play in the global challenge of sustainability, and many engineers are seeking courses that provide the latest thinking on low-carbon design. This year the Energy Institute launched a new chartered status for energy managers — a sign of the growing impact of the government’s carbon-emission reduction commitments on UK businesses. Another newly introduced title is chartered environmentalist, reflecting the rising interest in and demand for sustainability, or “green”, specialists. Social aspects have also come to the fore, nowhere more so than with preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games. “Sustainability, equality and social inclusion are areas that have all altered tremendously over the past five years and we, as engineers, have to keep ourselves updated about society’s changing needs,” says Louise Hardy, senior civil engineer at Laing O’Rourke and infrastructure director for the London Olympic Park. “Ours is an industry that is forever changing,” says Peter Hansford, newly elected president of the ICE. “CPD is a critical means of developing and maintaining competence and, for an engineer to retain professional status, the personal development cycle of self-assessment, CPD planning, action and reporting must continue year on year.”


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