By Our Special Correspondent
The institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community with more than 1,50,000 members in 127 countries and offices across the world. The IET provides a global knowledge network to facilitate the exchange of ideas and promote the positive role of science, engineering and technology in the world. In an interview with The Hindu Education Plus, Shekhar Sanyal, IET Country Head, India and Mike Bridge foot Head of Registration and Standards explain IET’s growing role in India.
Can you elaborate on what IET does?
IET is a global professional engineering and technology institution with particular interest in providing continuing professional development for its 152,000 members globally. It is a professional home for life for engineers and helps support their professional needs at every stage of their career, whether as a student, a young professional, a mid-level manager or as a senior technologist.
As part of its commitment to promote professionalism in the industry, it awards (on behalf of the Engineering Council, UK) professional Engineering and technology qualifications – Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng), Engineering Technisian(EngTech) and ICT Technician (ICTTech). These qualifications are global in nature and recognised across the world. In fact, few countries like Australia consider them to be a desirable qualification for anybody interested in immigrating to Australia.
Can you explain how these qualifications help young professionals, and what the benefits are?
One of the biggest challenges that most engineering organisations face today is getting professionals to work for them.
While it is easy to get a technically sound person, it is becoming more and more difficult to get people who exhibit professional qualities beyond their technical competence.
These qualifications enable young professionals to demonstrate the broad range of knowledge, skills and competence specified in the standard which includes leadership, communications, ethics and commitment to standards.
This way an employer knows that potential employee exhibits the competencies of a professional rather than just a good engineer and technologist.
With respect to India, what is the current perception or trend that you have observed for professional registrations? Is there enough awareness?
The awareness of these qualifications among engineers and technologists in India who work for global technology organisations is growing rapidly. Organisations that find advantage ensure that their staff adheres to a set of globally set standards which include “soft skills” and attitude to work as well as technology.
The IET’s success in increasing its registrations is partly due to global growth, in particular success in India in 2010.
What are your plans for India?
We hope to play a significant role in the technological growth of India through our members. To achieve that, we are planning to increase our membership base and open new local chapters beyond the five that exist.
Focus will be on five core sectors – Energy, Built Environment, Design and Production, Transport and Information and Communications that contribute to the growth in the Indian scenario. We will also create opportunities for our members to collaborate and work with the finest scientific and engineering minds in the world.
We plan to enhance professional standards which help Indian engineers get recognised the world over.
Which are the Indian organisations that have enrolled their employees for these courses?
They include a very broad range from consultancies to technology providers.
Few companies that have enrolled their employees for professional qualifications are Black and Veatch, Indian Railways, Foster Wheeler India, Atkins Global and Terex India.
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