An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

78A CHRONICLE OF THE ENGINEERING COUNCILMedia reporting on the EngC improved also in quality. The Times and the Daily Telegraphwere now regularly publishing formal lists of newly-qualified Chartered Engineers andIncorporated Engineers. The YEB competition was reported by Thames TV, BBC, ITV,Radios 1 and 4 and the BBC World Service. In addition to materials identified above, EngCitems published during the year included ‘Managing Design for Competitive Advantage’reprinted in March [this had been first published in July 1986] and, in August 1989, thecorporate brochure ‘Shaping Britain’s Future’.During 1990 there were 2,465 specific mentions of the EngC in the media (a 4% increaseover 1989), including magazines for young people, as well as national, regional, and localpublications, TV and radio programmes. The YEB competition occasioned the greatest mediacoverage. Substantial numbers of letters were organised and inspired by the EngC PublicAffairs Directorate to the Daily Telegraph, The Times, Financial Times and the Independent.‘Engineers and the Environment’ was the theme of the sixth Engineering Assembly, openedby the EngC’s President HRH The Duke of Kent and held at Surrey University on 16-17 July1990. David Heathcote-Amery (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department ofEnvironment), Sara Parkin (Green Party), Sir John Mason (former Director General of theMeteorological Office) and Robert Malpas (Chairman of PowerGen) were among the keyspeakers. It was announced that the EngC would introduce an Environment Award in 1991for individuals or teams. A brochure was produced for Assembly discussion and thendistributed to all UK secondary schools in December 1990 as ‘Engineers and theEnvironment’.In part fulfillment of Sir William Barlow’s vision for the EngC to play a prominent role inmatters of national importance, three working parties, each chaired by an EngC CouncilMember were set up in 1990 to address further a number of broad issues:- Engineers and Risk Issues – chaired by Sir William Francis, with members drawnfrom EngC Affiliates, staff of safety agencies and academics; the final report was tobe presented in April 1992.- Engineers and the Environment – chaired by Professor Michael Burdekin, withmembers drawn from environmentalists and Government Departments; this workingparty was also to keep in touch with any environment activities of the Institutions.The EngC responded in 1990 to the Government’s Environment White Paper.- Registrants and Industry Affiliates – chaired by Michael Manzoni; this workingparty was charged with looking at means to increase registration, through the IndustryAffiliates, and by building and expanding on the existing links thereby ensuring asupply of properly qualified engineers and technicians to meet the country’s needs. Areport was due at the end of 1991.Fourteen Members of the Parliamentary Group for Engineering Development [five Peers andnine MPs] visited the EngC’s offices in March 1990 while key MPs and peers were suppliedregularly with EngC literature throughout the year. During the year the EngC made a strongstatement on the future of the UK Civil Nuclear Programme.© Engineering Council UK 2004