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 agency, government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous dominion over some area of human activity in a licen ...

for registration of Chartered and

Incorporated engineer An engineering technologist is a professional trained in certain aspects of development and implementation of a respective area of technology. Engineering technology education is even more applied and less theoretical than engineering education ...

s and engineering technician, holding a register of these and providing advice to students,

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the ...

, employers and academic institutions on the standards for registration and procedures for registration. It is also responsible for the accreditation of educational and training programs, delegating this responsibility to licensed member institutions.

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 body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, whi ...

. 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 s ...

. This provided all the main functions that the EngC now provides, but was more ineffectual. 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 Sir Harold Montague "Monty" Finniston FRS FRSE (15 August 1912 – 2 February 1991) was a Scottish industrialist. Life He was born at 26 Aikenhead Road in Govanhill, Glasgow the son of Robert Finniston. His family were of Russian Jewish origi ...

, 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, 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 recognized by the British Government as the national representative body of the

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

profession 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. These professional titles are recognized in Europe with the Directive 2005/36.

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

* Chartered Association of Building Engineers * Institute of Acoustics *

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 aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows, ...

* Institution of Agricultural 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 The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors or CICES is a professional association in the field of civil engineering surveying. CICES is recognised as a leading chartered professional body for civil engineering surveyors. CICES memb ...

* Institute of Cast Metals Engineers * Institution of Chemical Engineers *

* British Computer Society *

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, and ...

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 (d ...

* Institution of Engineering Designers * Society of Environmental Engineers *

Institution of Fire Engineers Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...

* Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers *

Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) is the UK's largest specialist Institute for the Healthcare Estates Sector; devoted to developing careers, provision of education and training and registering engineers as Eng Te ...

* Institute of Highway Engineers *

Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (formerly the Institution of Highways and Transportation) is a UK-based learned society (with worldwide membership) concerned specifically with the planning, design, construction, maintenan ...

* Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology * Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining * Institute of Measurement and Control * Institution of Mechanical Engineers *

Royal Institution of Naval Architects The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (also known as RINA) is an international organisation representing naval architects. It is an elite international professional institution based in London. Its members are involved worldwide at all levels ...

* British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing *

Nuclear Institute The Nuclear Institute is the professional body representing nuclear professionals in the UK. It is a charity independent of the industry that promotes knowledge of nuclear energy amongst its members and the public and offers a route to professi ...

* Society of Operations Engineers *

Permanent Way Institution The Permanent Way Institution is a technical Institution which aims to provide technical knowledge, advice and support to all those engaged in rail infrastructure systems worldwide. Permanent Way is used to describe the course of a railway line, ...

Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, research and application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide membership of over 20,000. The IOP is the Physic ...

Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) is the United Kingdom's British professional bodies, professional body and learned society for physicists, engineers and technologists within the field of medicine, founded in 1995, cha ...

Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is the professional body for the United Kingdom plumbing and heating industry. Its membership comprises approximately 8,000 individuals, including consultants, specifiers, designer ...

Institution of Railway Signal Engineers The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) is a worldwide professional body for all those engaged or interested in railway signalling and telecommunications (S&T) and allied disciplines. Local sections The IRSE is based in London, with ...

* The Institution of Royal Engineers * The Safety and Reliability Society *

Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. The Institution has over 30,000 members operating in over 100 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation ...

* Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management *

The Welding Institute The Welding Institute (TWI Ltd) is a research and technology organisation, with a specialty in welding. It has had headquarters near Cambridge, England, since 1946, and has other facilities across the UK and around the world. TWI works across ...

International registration

Engineering Council is a "designated authority" under the implementing regulations for Directive 2005/36/EC. It is a member of the

European Federation of National Engineering Associations FEANI (Fédération Européenne d'Associations Nationales d'Ingénieurs / European Federation of National Engineering Associations) is a federation of national professional bodies representing engineering in European countries. Founded in 1951, i ...

(FEANI). Engineering Council has relationships with many similar organizations 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