An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

1985-1988: THE TOMBS YEARS 41During 1986 the EngC’s regional involvement expanded. Each of the Engineering Council’snineteen Regions had established a committee with the responsibility (as stated in the EngCNewsletter of April 1986) to:• publicise the profession locally, including contact with the local media• arrange local meetings and conferences under the ‘professional affairs’ heading• cover careers and education, including the ‘Opening Windows on Engineering’ scheme.Graham Anthony, who had been Director – Industry since the formation of the EngC nowbecame Director – Industry and Regions and a full-time senior executive, Alec Bennett,formerly Group Marketing Director of Langham Industries, joined the staff to coordinate andhelp lead the development of regional activities. In addition, Sir Robert Telford, HonoraryPresident of the Marconi Company and Chairman of Prelude Technology Investments, ofDRI Holdings, and of CTP Investments, took up the Chairmanship of the newly formedEngineering Council Regional Organisation Co-ordinating Committee (ECROC) that acted asa focus for the nineteen ECROs. A programme of activities and also guidelines for theECROs were agreed during the year and the Surrey ECRO conducted a pilot survey of its13,000 constituents, by circulating a newsletter and questionnaire; 2,100 replies werereceived including 1,200 engineers and technicians who volunteered to help with schools andindustry activities. Other ECROs were able to build upon this experience, at the same timepromoting a greater understanding at the local level of the EngC’s policies and activities. In1987, for instance, three further ECROs issued newsletters and questionnaires to their(approximately 2,000 each) registrants, and received a 15-20% response supporting localactivities.By the end of 1986 several ECROs had part-time staff, and offices were opened during 1987in Cardiff, Liverpool and Newcastle. The SW Region ECRO had a senior engineer secondedfull-time by British Telecom. The Yorkshire ECRO ran a pilot scheme with eleven localeducation authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside to focus on schools. Two ECROs inScotland jointly organised, in conjunction with Strathclyde Regional Council, an eveningcareers conference that was attended by 200 educationalists, parents, careers offices andEngC staff. The ECRO in Cardiff was offered premises in 1987 following the Welsh IndustryForum held there. Also during 1987, honorary ECRO Public Relations Officers were invitedto two workshops to help them make better use of local media in promoting the EngineeringProfession. Informal talks were held with Young Engineers’ Liaison Committee (YELC)officers to encourage more YELC members to seek election to the Engineering Assembly[see below], and to become more involved in ECROs, particularly with WISE liaison. Theperiodic Engineering Council Newsletter sent to all Registrants included as a standard itembrief reports from every one of the nineteen Regions. By any measure the launch of theECROs, with coordination by ECROC, was a resounding success as engineers of allInstitutions worked together locally on a variety of schools’ liaison activities and otherevents.The Engineering AssemblyIt will be recalled that early in 1983 Dr Kenneth Miller had conceived the notion of anEngineering Assembly whose members were directly elected by Registrants through theregional system. Its birth was realised on 3 September 1985 when the Prime Minister, the RtHon Mrs Margaret Thatcher, opened the first meeting of the Assembly that was attended by114 representatives and held over two days at the University of Birmingham. The 114© Engineering Council UK 2004