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Engineering Education, Resources and Standards
News Release from: The Engineering Council
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 08 December 2003
New approach to a professional standard
The Engineering Council has published new standards of professional competence for engineers and technicians.
The Engineering Council has published new standards of professional competence for engineers and technicians UK-SPEC, which replaces the previous standard document, Sartor 3, contains the assessment criteria for registration as a professional engineer or technician and outlines the qualifications and experience that would lead to attaining professional status
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 28 Sep 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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UK-SPEC was developed following consultation with employers, the business community and the profession and responds to their call to allow greater flexibility in achieving professional status for those engineers who do not hold accredited educational qualifications but have attained relevant employment experience.
Speaking at the launch of the new standards at Westminster Central Hall, Sir Colin Terry, Chairman of the Engineering Council UK, said: "There was a perception, not entirely incorrect, that becoming a professionally qualified engineer or technician was more difficult and time consuming than should have been necessary".
"What we have done is to listen to the marketplace.
We believe that UK-SPEC will achieve the greater access to professional recognition which employers and the engineering professions have been looking for without compromising standards".
Professor Kel Fidler, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Northumbria led the working group that developed the new standard.
Introducing UK-SPEC at the launch, Professor Fidler said: "Although dramatically different from its predecessor in style and content, UK-SPEC builds on the experience accumulated by the engineering profession over many years.
The standards represent evolution rather than revolution, and reflect thinking internationally as well as in the UK on the importance of competence as a means to assess the contribution professional engineers and technicians can make to the economy".
ECUK, supported by the Engineering and Technology Board, will shortly begin a nationwide awareness campaign to the business community to promote the value of professional registration, based around UK-SPEC.
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