Engineering Council Working Group

The following is an interview with Richard Watson, Vice Chair of the Engineering Council Working Group…

Give a brief introduction to the Engineering Council Working Group.
The Engineering Council Working Group (ECWG) was set up in around 2003. The group members of the ECWG are all members of BINDT and there are also some BINDT staff supporting the working group. The ECWG is a sub-committee of BINDT’s Membership, Qualification & Education Committee (MQ&E). All of the non-staff ECWG members are required to be registered with the Engineering Council as Chartered Engineers (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) or Engineering Technicians (EngTech). Also, all members of the ECWG have to comply with the BINDT Confidentiality and Impartiality Policy.

What are the purposes of the ECWG?
BINDT is licensed by the Engineering Council for the professional registration of engineers and accreditation of Personnel Certification in Non-Destructive Testing (PCN) qualifications. The purpose of the ECWG is to support and maintain these licences. ECWG members review and assess applications from BINDT members who want to become professionally registered with the Engineering Council. The group can provide guidance and knowledge to applicants and can also recommend mentors where required. This can be of great benefit to applicants. The ECWG also aims to match PCN qualifications against learning outcomes specified by the Engineering Council for particular registration grades. Another focus of the group is to promote the benefits of Engineering Council registration to individuals and companies active in non-destructive testing (NDT)/condition monitoring (CM). It also promotes and assesses candidates on the engineering apprenticeship schemes for NDT.

What is your personal role within the ECWG?
For the past two years I have been in the role of Vice Chair of the ECWG. It provides me with excellent experience and helps to enhance my own knowledge and continuing professional development by supporting BINDT and the Engineering Council. In January 2024, I will become Chair for a two-year term. The Chair is a focal point for the group, chairing meetings, interacting with other committees, assisting internal and external audits and providing leadership for the working group’s activities. The Chair is elected at the ECWG AGM.

What are the key achievements of the ECWG?
The ECWG has provided advice and guidance to BINDT members who are considering professional registration and facilitated a means of registering with the Engineering Council and promoting the benefits of becoming professionally registered. During the previous two years, the ECWG has reviewed and approved the following registrations: 40 EngTech, 27 IEng and nine CEng. The ECWG, under the leadership of the late Roger Lyon, was a key driver in defining and setting up the engineering apprenticeship scheme for NDT/CM personnel and aligning the outcomes for the scheme with EngTech and IEng registration requirements (for the relevant grades). The ECWG has satisfied the Engineering Council that the PCN Level 2 qualification meets the learning outcome requirements for EngTech registration, greatly simplifying the application process for prospective registrants.

Is the ECWG working on any particular projects? Please describe these.
The ECWG has recently obtained UK Government Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) approval for BINDT to undertake end-point assessments for two of the three NDT apprenticeships (Levels 2 and 6) and is currently working on the third (Level 3). The ECWG is actively promoting professional registration for all levels: EngTech, IEng and CEng.

What are the benefits of professional registration?
It can be of great benefit to become professionally registered with the Engineering Council: it provides an internationally recognised standard for registrants, it can lead to improved career prospects and higher earning potential and it demonstrates a professional attitude and enhanced status, leading to higher self-esteem. It is also of benefit to companies or organisations to have their staff professionally registered as it can enhance their brand and reputation. Many companies offer rewards for gaining professional registration and indeed for some roles it is recommended or can even be compulsory. The ECWG supports diversity and inclusion and is also committed to making reasonable adjustments for any neurodiverse applicants.

How can interested parties get involved in the ECWG?
If you would like to find out more, either from an individual or company perspective, please get in touch via the BINDT website at www.bindt.org or contact Cindy Bailey or Wendy Sterling at BINDT. You can find more information on the BINDT website, at: www.bindt.org/membership/engineers-registration, and on the Engineering Council website.

Richard Watson would like to thank all of the ECWG members for their support in providing their knowledge and expertise to review and advise applicants and giving their time to do so; in particular, past Chairs of the ECWG Dr Martin Lugg and Dr Mike Smith, as well as BINDT staff members Cindy Bailey, Wendy Sterling and Eleanor Flower, who provide excellent support to help the ECWG run smoothly.

The next group to be featured in the ‘In Focus’ column will be the Lubrication Analysis Working Group in March 2024. If you have questions for this group, please send them by email to the editor at ndtnews@bindt.org or Maria Felice at mvfelice@gmail.com. The value of this column depends on your questions, so please do send them in. It is your choice whether we keep them anonymous or mention your name.

Looking for the People in NDE column? This column will continue on an occasional basis, so if you have any interviewees to recommend, or would like to be featured yourself, please contact the editor at ndtnews@bindt.org or email Maria Felice at mvfelice@gmail.com

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