An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

64A CHRONICLE OF THE ENGINEERING COUNCILschools, and contributed materials and equipment. The EngC used some of its own [i.e.Registrants’] money for this venture.By 1989, the Scheme was operating with the help of 1,500 Neighbourhood Engineers in over450 schools in seven regions – Devon & Cornwall, South Wales, South West, Merseyside &Cheshire, Kent & Sussex, Scotland East, and Northern. Five senior Chartered Engineers, asfull-time Project Managers, were seconded from Industry Affiliates – BNF plc, OveArup &Partners, Rolls Royce plc and NEI plc. The plan to use 30,000 Registrants was reassessed,but the result was that at least 24,000 were deemed necessary to be able to attach 3 or 4practising engineers or technicians to every secondary school in the country; it was felt thatthis Scheme would then be effective in all regions over the following three years. HerMajesty’s Inspectorate of Schools informally examined the development of NeighbourhoodEngineers in Devon & Cornwall and in Merseyside & Cheshire, and produced a mostencouraging report that included phrases such as “it is having a much more beneficial affectthan other forms of promoting engineering”.Several activities took place in 1989 in which an Industry Affiliate assisted in theNeighbourhood Engineers’ scheme in the secondary school sector. British Petroleum (BP),for instance, collaborated with the EngC to support the ‘Exciting Science and Engineering’initiative, developed at the University of York by BP engineers with support from theYorkshire ECRO. Schools up and down the country were encouraged to contact and utilisethe expertise of local engineers and consultants.At the end of 1990 the Neighbourhood Engineers scheme was operating in nine of thenineteen regions. Industry Affiliates had seconded staff to act as Neighbourhood EngineerProject Managers. The scheme had spread to 800 out of 2,700 schools in the regions,involving 3,400 active engineers and technicians. As there were 6,000 schools to coveroverall, another 20,000 engineers and technicians had to be mobilised. It was hoped toachieve this over the following 2 to 3 years and the DTI gave £612,000 in support over threeyears from 1990. The helpful document ‘Neighbourhood Engineers – Practical Support forSchools’ was reprinted in December 1990 following its original publication in December1988.A further initiative conveniently linking with Neighbourhood Engineers was the publishing inNovember 1988 of ‘Opportunities as a College Governor’ designed to encourage Charteredand Incorporated Engineers to take up such posts. This responded to a requirement of the1986 Education Act (no 2) for the business community to have increased representation onschool and college governing bodies from September 1988. The ECROs were asked toencourage engineers to contact their local schools and colleges. This proved effective, asfrom 1989 onwards many Neighbourhood Engineers became School Governors and somebecame Chairmen of school-governing bodies.Young Engineer for BritainIn maintaining contact with the youngsters themselves during this period, the EngC continuedto promote the Young Engineer for Britain competition. The First Prize at the 1988 NationalFinal was presented by Sir Peter Walters, Chairman of BP plc to Paul Dagley-Morris ofCheltenham College for his Rapidcall radio transmitter alarm system that could be worn on abelt. The final was hosted by National Westminster Bank plc at its Old Banking Hall in theCity of London. Industrial Affiliates, Dial Industry Publications and the DTI provided© Engineering Council UK 2004