An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

1988-1990: THE BARLOW YEARS 75the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) had to get all 50 States toagree to the Accord because the Professional Engineer (PE) title was awarded locally.Likewise in Canada all 12 Provinces had to agree. The other three countries Australia, NewZealand and Ireland had fewer problems because each had a single engineering institutioncovering all branches and also awarded a national qualification. In the event all six countriesratified the Washington Accord the last one being the USA on 27 April 1990 when the ABETBoard of Directors approved the agreement.Mindful of the 1987 European Accord among 20 countries regarding the FEANI title ofEuropean Engineer, there was now an opportunity for full mutual international recognition ofengineering qualifications at the Chartered Engineer level as distinct from Stage 1(Education) only. However, it was decade later that this came to fruition as the ‘EngineersMobility Forum’ (EMF) a development of the Washington Accord – which by then includedHong Kong and South Africa, with Japan and Germany seeking to join.The BNCIEA was extremely active with the DTI in 1989 and 1990 in preparing for theimplementation of a European Community Directive for the Professions and a memberhelped to draft a Directive specific to engineers. As a result, in 1990 the DTI was able toannounce that Incorporated Engineers, as well as Chartered Engineers were to be included inthe European Community Directive on mutual recognition of professional qualifications.February 1990 saw FEANI publishing the first issue of the European Engineer. By the end of1990 there were nearly 6,000 British engineers on the FEANI Register entitled to use the EurIng title. Some 350 Incorporated Engineers were in Group 2 on the FEANI Register.Representatives of the BNCIEA attended the 1990 FEANI General Assembly in Capri. In thesame year the BNCIEA participated in the WFEO’s work with the ‘UN International Decadefor Natural Disaster Reduction’ whilst in October 1990 the BNCIEA hosted L G de Steur, theFEANI President, on his visit to the UK.Interfacing with IndustryIndustrial and Industry AffiliatesSir William Barlow encouraged the holding of more meetings in early evenings at whichsubjects of significance to the engineering profession were discussed. Industries, through theIndustrial Affiliates, were encouraged to become involved in the engineering education ofpotential employees. Accordingly, during 1988 two special meetings between the EngC andits Industrial Affiliates were held, one to discuss 5-19 liaison, the other to discuss the newIntegrated Engineer Degree Programme (IEDP). Both meetings were well attended.Also during 1988 the EngC arranged for ten regional meetings for existing and potential newIndustrial Affiliates to be hosted by well-known companies; at these meetings more firmswere encouraged to join the EngC. For companies who had less than 100 employees anadditional category within the Industrial Affiliate framework was introduced. Sir WilliamBarlow and Viscount Weir, President of the British Electrotechnical and AlliedManufacturers’ Association (BEAMA), jointly wrote to all 375 BEAMA members,encouraging them to join the EngC as Industrial Affiliates. As a result of these efforts thirtysixmore firms joined the EngC during 1988, even though affiliation fees, which had beenunchanged since 1985, were increased by 10%. By the end of the year there was a total of210 - and Council decided that from 1989 they would all be styled Industry Affiliates. They© Engineering Council UK 2004