An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

1999-2001: THE HAWLEY YEARS 165• Registration of Engineers• Future Engineering Impact• Achieving Consensus• The Engineering CouncilHowever, under this last heading there were, as it transpired, extremely significantrecommendations that “A study of alternative corporate structures should be undertaken” and“there should be research to identify a new name that has the necessary resonance withtomorrow’s engineers and technologists”.‘Making the Most of Valuable Talent’ also usefully included a summary for the EngC of thereport of a review team examining communication issues and proposals for ‘clusters’ ofprofessional Institutions, perhaps remembering the pre-Fairclough clusters of Institutions,termed Engineering Group Committees in the 1980s [see Chapter 3].February 2001The Genesis of the Engineering and Technology BoardAfter discussions in various venues on ‘Making the Most of Valuable Talent’, Dr Hawley, atone of the final meetings of his Group in December 2000, introduced the idea of the actualreplacement of the EngC by a completely new body that would do all that the EngC wasperceived as having failed to achieve, particularly in communicating and promotingengineering and engaging the wider engineering community. This was much in line with thejoint letter of 30 November from the ‘Big 4’ described above.Broadly agreed by the Group (which it will be recalled included the EngC’s Director General,Malcolm Shirley) it was decided to announce this fundamental change at a major forum forthe key stakeholders on 14 February 2001 to be held at the Institution of Electrical Engineers.We may note that the IMechE Journal Professional Engineer was not alone in remarking onthe association of this date with both alliances and massacres ! A major task in ensuring thesuccess of this event was persuading the Institutions of the merits of the creation of a newbody, and this task fell to Malcolm Shirley. Personal meetings and briefings with ChiefExecutives and Presidents of the majority of Institutions prior to the event resulted in theiragreement to support the idea, the vision and aims of which could hardly be disputed.Among those attending the St Valentine’s Day meeting were representatives from theConstruction Industry Council, UKAPE, EEF and EMTA, besides many from industry andthe Engineering Institutions. Lord Sainsbury and Dr Hawley addressed the140 delegates andannounced the proposed formation of a new ‘Engineering and Technology Board’ (ETB).Dr Hawley said “ The creation of the ETB … shifts the focus from the engineering professionto the wider engineering and technology community…It creates an opportunity for everyoneworking in the wider world of engineering and technology to make a greater, co-ordinatedand more valuable contribution to the businesses and industries in which our talents aredeployed…The ETB will be a totally different organisation from the existing EngineeringCouncil…will be fundamentally different in structure, purpose, image and ability toinfluence. It will be designed to achieve the step change referred to by the Minister.”“The ETB” he continued, “will respond to market needs in ways which are relevant, timelyand in keeping with the rapidly changing dynamics of the technology world. It is about© Engineering Council UK 2004