The Engineering Council (formerly Engineering Council UK; colloquially known as EngC) is the UK's

regulatory authority A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous jurisdiction over some area of human activity in a licensing and regu ...

for registration of Chartered and Incorporated engineers and

engineering technician An engineering technician is a professional trained in skills and techniques related to a specific branch of technology, with a practical understanding of the relevant engineering concepts. Engineering technicians often assist in projects relat ...

. The Engineering Council holds the national registers of over 228,000 Engineering Technicians (EngTech), Incorporated Engineers (IEng), Chartered Engineers (CEng) and Information and Communications Technology Technicians (ICTTech). The Engineering Council is also responsible for establishing and upholding globally acknowledged benchmarks of professional competence and ethical conduct, which govern the award and retention of these titles. This guarantees that employers, government bodies, and the broader society, both within the UK and abroad, can place their trust in the expertise, experience, and dedication of engineers and technicians who are professionally registered with the Engineering Council.

History

Professional engineering institutions in the UK began in 1818 with the formation of the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a Charitable organization, charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters ar ...

. The IMechE was formed next in 1847. The IEE (Later Renamed as

IET __NOTOC__ IET can refer to: Organizations * Institute of Educational Technology, part of the Open University * Institution of Engineering and Technology, a UK-based professional engineering institution ** Institute of Engineers and Technicians, wh ...

) was formed in 1871. These three are known as the ''Big Three'' institutions since together they represent 80% of registered UK engineers. The Joint Council of Engineering Institutions was formed in 1964, which later became the Council of Engineering Institutions (CEI) in November 1965, which had a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

. This provided functions similar to those that the current Engineering Council and EngineeringUK currently carry out, as well as some others. Around this time, 33% of the UK's GDP was in manufacturing, lowering to 29% in the early 1970s.

Finniston report

A royal commission, from the committee of inquiry into the engineering profession, chaired by Sir Monty Finniston, was set up in 1977. It looked at the formation and registration of engineers, producing the Finniston Report - ''Engineering our Future'' in 1980. Engineering institutions thought they may have lost their autonomy. There was also the possibility of statutory licensing (direct government control) of engineers, as other professional practitioners such as doctors and architects, but the work of engineers is more confined to work with other engineering companies, providing a nominal level of inherent professional self-regulation against misconduct. Keith Joseph at the DTI chose not to have a

statutory body A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state, sometimes by being Primary and secondary legislation, empowered or deleg ...

, but have a royal charter. From its recommendations, the Engineering Council was established in 1981, watching over 54 separate institutions. It gained a royal charter on 27 November 1981. The first chairman was Sir Kenneth Corfield, followed by Francis Tombs, Baron Tombs in 1985, Sir William Barlow in 1988, Sir John Fairclough in 1991, Dr. Alan Rudge in 1996 and Dr. Robert Hawley in 1999. It formed the WISE Campaign in 1983 to encourage women to become engineers. In 1996, the diamond logo was replaced by a circle.

Function

Engineering Council is recognised by the

British Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

as the national representative body of the

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

in the United Kingdom, working in partnership with other engineering institutions. The Engineering Council regulates the professions of chartered engineer, incorporated engineer and engineering technician in the UK.

Professional registration in the UK

UK legislation is generally 'permissive' and, as such, the title ''engineer'' is not protected by law therefore anyone can call themselves an ''engineer'' or ''professional engineer'' or ''registered engineer'' and many semi-skilled and unskilled trades adopt this title. However the 'professional' titles awarded by the Engineering Council are protected by law. Registration as a chartered and incorporated engineers or as engineering technicians is voluntary and candidates are required to demonstrate a high standard of professional competence acquired through education, training and responsible experience in order to register. There are four categories of registration: * Chartered Engineer (CEng) * Incorporated Engineer (IEng) * Engineering Technician (EngTech) * Information and Communications Technology Technician (ICTTech) Assessment for registration is typically carried out on Engineering Council's behalf by a licensed member institution. The Engineering Technician (EngTech) may obtain the Licentiateship (with post nominals LCGI), a City and Guilds award comparable to a level 4 qualification. The Incorporated Engineer (IEng) may obtain the Graduateship (GCGI) in engineering, comparable to a level 6 qualification. The Chartered Engineer (CEng) may obtain the Membership (MCGI) in engineering, comparable to a level 7 qualification.

Licensed member institutions

British Computer Society image:Maurice Vincent Wilkes 1980 (3).jpg, Sir Maurice Wilkes served as the first President of BCS in 1957. The British Computer Society (BCS), branded BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, since 2009, is a professional body and a learned ...

* British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing * Chartered Association of Building Engineers *

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE; pronounced 'sib-see') is an international professional engineering association based in London, England that represents building services engineers. It is a full member of the C ...

* Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors * Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation * Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering *

Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity in the United Kingdom that works internationally to advance the science and practice of water resource managemen ...

Energy Institute The Energy Institute (EI) is a professional organization for engineers and other professionals in energy-related fields. The EI was formed in 2003 by the merger of the Institute of Petroleum (dating back to 1913) and the Institute of Energy ( ...

* Institution of Agricultural Engineers *

Institution of Chemical Engineers The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is a global professional engineering institution with 30,000 members in 114 countries. It was founded in 1922 and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957. The Institution has offices in Rugby, Warwickshire, ...

* Institution of Engineering Designers *

Institution of Engineering and Technology The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution. The IET was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), dating back to 1871,Engin ...

* Institute of Explosive Engineers (IExpE) * Institution of Fire Engineers * Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers * Institute of Highway Engineers * Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management * Institution of Lighting Professionals * Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology *

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 member ...

* Institute of Measurement and Control * The Institution of Royal Engineers * Institute of Acoustics *

Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a British engineering institution with activities including promotion of the development of materials science. It has been a registered charity governed by a royal charter and a member ...

Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, physics research, research and applied physics, application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide ...

* Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine * Institution of Railway Signal Engineers *

Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers is a British professional body for structural engineers. In 2021, it had 29,900 members operating in 112 countries. It provides professional accreditation and publishes a magazine, '' The Structural Eng ...

Institute of Water The Institute of Water is the main professional association for the water industry in the UK. History It was founded in 1945 as the Association of Water Distribution Officers. It was incorporated on 12 October 1954. It became the Institution of ...

* INCOSE UK * Nuclear Institute * Permanent Way Institution *

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest Aeronautics, aeronautical society in the world. Memb ...

Royal Institution of Naval Architects The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (also known as RINA) is a professional institution and global governing body for naval architecture and maritime engineering. Members work in industry, academia, and maritime organisations worldwide, par ...

* The Safety and Reliability Society * Society of Operations Engineers * The Welding Institute

International registration

Engineering Council is a "designated authority" under the implementing regulations for

Directive 2005/36/EC Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications provides for a system of recognition of professional experience and promotes automatic recognition of professional experience across the European Union (EU). It covers the Eu ...

. It is a member of the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI). Engineering Council has relationships with many similar organisations worldwide. It has responsibility for the UK sections of two international registers: * FEANI's register of

European Engineer European Engineer (EUR ING) is an international professional qualification and title for highly qualified engineers used in over 32 European countries. Contemporary EUR ING engineers are degree-qualified and have gained the highest level of profes ...

s * The International Register of Professional Engineers (IRPE/IRoPE) European Engineer registration entitles the holder to use the European-style prefix title EurIng; International Professional Engineer registration entitles the holder to use the suffix IntPE (UK). The qualifications required for international registration are similar to those required for CEng registration.

References

External links

EngC official website

The EngC YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engineering Council 1981 establishments in the United Kingdom Engineering education in the United Kingdom Engineering societies based in the United Kingdom Organisations based in the London Borough of Camden Organizations established in 1981 Professional associations based in the United Kingdom Professional certification in engineering Regulators of the United Kingdom Science and technology in the United Kingdom