Professionalising the whole industry: The Chartered Infrastructure Engineer discussion

Overview

In 1818, the term civil engineering was coined to differentiate between civil and military engineering. At that time, civil engineering incorporated all non-military engineering.

ICE was the first Professional Engineering Institution and whilst it does not seek to represent those working in all areas of engineering, it can with some legitimacy lay claim to being the natural professional home for individuals working within infrastructure who seek professional qualification within the context of civil engineering.

Recent studies have looked at how significant numbers of technically competent (and often academically qualified) engineers might be brought onto the professional register.

The Falzani report concluded that an estimated three million eligible engineers “know who the Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) are, know what you offer but aren’t interested”. Professor John Uff concluded that PEIs have a moral responsibility to capture these individuals.

And the Hackitt Review went further still, suggesting that PEIs look at mechanisms to provide societal assurance through professionally qualifying, training, and auditing the skill sets of engineers on a routine and through-career basis. It is against this background ICE seeks to deliver against such aspirations.

The proposal was due to be put to a member vote this summer. However, following discussions with members, the trustees have listened to member feedback asking for more opportunities to understand the proposal before voting. The Institution will therefore hold a separate ballot at the beginning of 2022, when members will be invited to vote on the single issue of the introduction of the protected title.

This discussion, which follows a Q&A session held in June with ICE President Rachel Skinner and will bring together a panel taken from the broad spectrum of our membership to share their points of view on the topic and address questions from the audience. The discussion aims to allow all members to participate in an open forum and reflect on the implications of the proposals prior to the member ballot in early 2022.

Programme