Engineering: issues, challenges and opportunities for development ...

ENGINEERING: ISSUES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENTlast fifty years a number of science and technology leadershave emerged with little or no traditional education.How many engineers, technologists and engineers does acountry require?The engineering profession plays a major role not only in thegrowth and development of a country’s economy but also inimproving the quality of life for its citizens. The engineeringprofession is also playing an ever-increasing role in enabling acountry to participate in the global economy and in the protectionof the environment. The linkage between a country’sindigenous engineering capacity and its economic developmentis understood. It is also understood that more engineeringprofessionals will be required to address the sustainable developmentissues of the day – for example, the development ofrenewable energy sources, advancements in technology, solutionsfor sustaining the environment and improving healthcare.What is not understood is how many engineers, technologistsand technicians are required to drive economic growth andsustainable development objectives within a country.There is no simple answer to this question as it is not simplya numbers game; more engineering professionals are neededif the number of engineers, engineering technologists andengineering technicians per capita is below the figures of acountry’s competitors. Furthermore, increasing the numberof engineering graduates is not necessarily a solution as theremay be a shortfall in the job market for such graduates or theattractiveness of other non-engineering professions requiringproblem-solving skills might entice graduates away from engineering.These issues are discussed later in this Report.Three main approaches to professionalregulation:1) Licensing: In this approach, an area of engineeringwork is linked to those persons who have demonstratedcompetence to perform such work. Licensing on a statutorybasis prohibits unlicensed persons from performingsuch work. Non-statutory licensing provides the publicwith lists of persons competent to perform work withinan area of engineering, which may also be undertaken bynon-licensed persons.2) Registration: In this approach, those persons whodemonstrate their competence against a standard andundertake to abide by a code of conduct, are awardedtitles and are admitted to a register. Such registration maybe governed by the laws of a country (statutory register)or the regulations or the rules set by the governing bodyof the profession, which oversees the registration processand maintains the register (non-statutory register).Where governing bodies operate non-statutory registration,they may only use civil action to prevent non-registrantsfrom using the title and are not empowered torestrict any area of work to registrants. (Statutory registrationlinked to the reserving of an area of work for registeredpersons has the same effect as statutory licensing.)3) Specialist lists: In this approach, a professional ortrade body administers a non-statutory voluntary listingof professionals who have met a defined standard ofcompetence in a specialist area.Engineering professional tracksThe ‘engineer’ track is typically aimed at thosewho will:■ use a combination of general and specialistengineering knowledge and understandingto optimize the application of existing andemerging technology;■ aply appropriate theoretical and practicalmethods to the analysis and solution of engineeringproblems;■ provide technical, commercial and managerialleadership;■ undertake the management of high levels ofrisk associated with engineering processes, systems,equipment, and infrastructure; and■ perform activities that are essentially intellectualin nature, requiring discretion and judgement.The ‘engineering technologist’ track is typicallyaimed at those who will:■ exercise independent technical judgement atan appropriate level;■ assume responsibility, as an individual or asa member of a team, for the management ofresources and / or guidance of technical staff;■ design, develop, manufacture, commission,operate and maintain products, equipment,processes and services;■ actively participate in financial, statutory andcommercial considerations and in the creationof cost effective systems and procedures; and■ undertake the management of moderate levelsof risks associated with engineering processes,systems, equipment and infrastructure.The ‘engineering technician’ track is typicallyaimed at those who are involved in applyingproven techniques and procedures to the solutionof practical engineering problems. They:■ carry supervisory or technical responsibility;■ are competent to exercise creative aptitudesand skills within defined fields of technology;■ contribute to the design, development, manufacture,commissioning, operation or maintenanceof products, equipment, processes orservices; and■ create and apply safe systems of work.28