Chairman's Welcome

I would like to extend a very deep thank you to the IET Lancashire and Cumbria Network committee for entrusting me to act as chairperson for the ensuing year. 

I would also like to welcome network members to our 2007/8 season of events arranged, being arranged and finalised for you to attend and enjoy!

My professional career began back in 1965 as an apprentice electrical engineer with Shell and ICI Trimpell Ltd.    Progressing to shift Electrician and eventually Shift Engineer as my learning progressed, I then spent some time with the MOD as a shift engineer at Chorley and various other sites around Lancashire over the last 30-40 years: Milk Marketing Board, Whitbread Brewery, Courtaulds, NHS, Barrow Shipyard.  I then ventured into teaching and training, teaching C&G 236 and BTEC courses, gaining my Cert.Ed. and “D” no’s in the process.  Kendal College, Carlisle College and Furness College gave me a marvellous insight into education.

In 1965 I joined the SERT and the IIEIE and gave many active years of service, becoming full members of each and serving as local chair of each until the amalgamation of the two into the IIE and now under the umbrella of the IET!

During time I have been part of and witnessed much change – most of it for the better.  It has been driven by a spiralling expansion of science and technology, which is creating in its wake a new breed of specialists and technologists.  It is in this area that I wish to support the vision of the IET that our newly interdisciplinary structure membership works together for the good of all its members.

I also want to actively encourage younger entrants to seek IET membership with assistance given to encourage progression and at the other end to encourage multi-disciplinary new age Chartered Engineers from amongst the Incorporated Engineers.

As well as the events advertised in this newsletter our members should be assured that our Local Network and Younger Members’ Committees are working extensively with local education bodies in order to improve the Institution’s provision of Engineering and Technology support to schools: the source of our nation’s engineering future.

Gordon Victor Higton LC&G. Cert.Ed. MIET

Chairman IET (Lancashire & Cumbria)

Membership Presentation

Engineering Education Scheme

The Scheme gives talented Year 12 (Lower Sixth) students an insight into the rewards and challenges of the engineering/applied science professions*.    The students work in teams on real industrial engineering/scientific projects through partnerships between their school/college and a company during the period October to April. Last year 24 North West school/college teams took part, though many students had to be disappointed because of lack of support from companies and engineers in the North West.  Can you, or your company, help these enthusiastic students?

Teams of four/five students work with their link company, through an engineer (a mentor), over a period of six months on their project, which includes a three-day residential workshop in a NW University Engineering Department. The students are instructed and assessed on Project Management Skills and Communication Skills (written, verbal and visual). The project culminates in a written technical report which is professionally assessed at a Celebration and Assessment Day in April.  The experience and the learning ensure the students leave the Scheme with practical knowledge of the engineering and scientific professions.  Students become more organised individuals through the development of the aforementioned skills.  University admissions tutors recognize students’ EES experience as a valuable one, and as a strong indication of their commitment to engineering/science. Engineers can use their mentoring experience as part of their personal development, which goes to support their application for membership to a professional institution.

Typically 1300 students (about 30% of which are female), all with good GCSE grades, take part each year in England. The majority are taking mathematics and physics at A level. Every year, around 36% go on to read engineering degrees and a further 52% to read science/mathematics/information technology degrees.

Please take time to read the attached company brochure. If you or your company wish to know more, or have a brief presentation, please contact Dr Charles Baylis by email as soon as possible (c.baylis@thescheme.org.uk) or by telephone: 01744 737509.  The Scheme’s programme starts in the first week of October.

(*The Engineering Education Scheme is under the auspices of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) and is one of the routes by which the RAE addresses the nation’s dearth of engineers and applied scientists, about which many UK companies are expressing concern.)

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