Engineering body sponsors rail award

The SOE (Society of Operations Engineers) is sponsoring the Rail Engineer of the Year award at the first ever Railstaff Awards.

The SOE (Society of Operations Engineers) is sponsoring the Rail Engineer of the Year award at the first ever Railstaff Awards.

The sponsorship will be through the SOE's Professional Sector, the IPlantE (Institution of Plant Engineers).

The SOE has recently teamed up with a number of key rail partners - including Metronet - in order to provide engineers in the sector with professional status, through registration with the ECuk (Engineering Council UK).

Mark Organ, Head of Membership and Professional Standards at the SOE said: "We are delighted to sponsor this year's award".

"Rail engineers play a vitally important role in railway operations and deserve the professional recognition for their contribution".

"By presenting this award we are able to demonstrate the SOE's support to those involved in rail engineering".

The SOE, through the IPlantE, is actively promoting membership and registration aimed at those employees with NVQ level 3, NVQ level 2 and apprentices.

Registration is devised to prove technicians' competence and help them to gain professional recognition.

During 2006, the SOE registered the highest number of engineering technicians with the Engineering Council (ECuk) fellow engineers, managers and colleagues nominate potential winners for the award - making it one of the most democratic awards in the industry.

Those wishing to nominate a colleague, or simply someone they admire, have the chance to include the qualities that that make that person a potential Rail Engineer of the Year.

This can range from being able to solve complicated problems through to simply turning up to work on time with a consistently positive outlook.

The Awards will take place on Saturday 27th October 2007 at Birmingham's ICC.

The closing date for nominations is Tuesday 25th September.

Those wishing to attend need to book their places by Friday 12th October.

Will Reeves, SOE Membership Development Manager said: "The SOE is committed to developing membership for those not currently represented in the rail industry, especially those at EngTech level".

"We believe that all engineers should gain the professional recognition that they deserve from their peers, industry and society as a whole".

The SOE is committed to promoting the competence of its members within the engineering industry and it aims to form closer relations with its sister engineering institutions on likeminded projects.

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