2008: Year of the Engineering Team

Within the 83,000-plus membership of Engineers Australia, there are some 1,400 Technologists and just over 5,000 Associates. Technologists generally possess three year degrees, while associates possess a two year Associate Diploma, Diploma or Advanced Diploma or equivalent.

Across workplaces in the private and public sectors, technologists and associates, together with engineers, comprise what is known as the engineering team.  Questions have arisen as to whether technologists' and associates' membership of Engineers Australia yields membership value proportionate to their team contribution.

Engineers Australia Council has accordingly recognised 2008 as the Year of the Engineering Team, and has established a Project Task Force to address the issue.

The Project objective is to determine and provide pathways to meet the needs, prerequisites and processes required by Engineers Australia to form a truly representative and enfranchised engineering team. Their skills are mutually interdependent, with substantial overlap between roles and responsibilities.

The Task Force's approach recognises that engineering outcomes are delivered by a range of engineering practitioners possessing different formal qualifications and skills. 

The approach also recognises that, as the peak engineering body within Australia, Engineers Australia is committed to represent equally all members of the engineering team, and to eliminate any marginalisation of any of its members.  

It extends to a commitment to engage fully technologists and associates in its internal governance processes, so that the organisation can fully harness the skills and attributes they bring to the profession.

Initially Chaired by National Deputy President, Julie Hammer and now chaired by Peter Godfrey, the Project Task Force has focused on an Action Plan which identified eight specific issues, namely, understanding, attitudes and perceptions, disenfranchisement, articulation, international accords, accreditation, registration and membership value.

It is expected that, as these issues are progressed, they will contribute to building enhanced membership value for technologists and associates, and enable Engineers Australia to improve recruitment of these important members of the engineering team.

The project plan acknowledges a central role for the National Committee of Engineering Technologists Australia (NCETA) and the National Committee of Engineering Associates (NCEAA).  Their direct participation in the project includes representation on the Task Force. 

In order to maximise the value of the opportunity afforded by the Year of the Engineering Team, NCETA and NCEAA have resolved to conduct joint meetings of their boards during the course of 2008.  Their joint meetings will generally coincide with those of the Task Force.

The Year of the Engineering Team is expected to be quite different from the Year of Women in Engineering, in that it will have an essentially inward, rather than outward, focus. 

Paul Varsanyi, of Engineering Practice Directorate at National Office, is the Project Officer assigned to this task during 2008.  Support to the Project will also be provided by Lee Vereschildt, of Marketing & Communications Directorate.

Engineers Australia membership can expect to receive regular reports on the issues involved, both through this web site, and the Engineers Australia magazine. The web site will also be used for harvesting member feedback.

Would you like to provide feedback? Please do so via this email: taskforce@engineersaustralia.org.au  

 

The Institution of Engineers Australia, trading as Engineers Australia.