23 Professional development Electricians and their employers choose registration with the IET Since we announced our first applicant to achieve Electrician EngTech in May, more electricians have successfully become registered and more employers have expressed interest in rolling out registration to their teams. Back in 2016, IET members and staff contributed to the development of a new route for electricians to gain EngTech, which recognises electricians’ specialist qualifications and experience. Since then, in collaboration with the Engineering Council, we’ve introduced the Electrician EngTech Standard to the UK electrical industry – providing electricians with an opportunity to demonstrate their individually assessed competence and stand out from their peers. Nikki Dennis, a Qualified Supervisor at facilities management company MITIE, achieved Electrician EngTech in June 2018. He has already seen the benefit of having letters after his name, saying: “My individual competence has been proven by the process that I’ve gone through. I already feel like I stand out against others who might go for the same job, but don’t have EngTech.” This feeling is shared by self-employed electrician Ricky Flynn, who is currently going through the application process. “When going to new contractors, being able to say that you have an ECS gold or black card is good, but EngTech is recognised as so much more than that in industry,” he says. “It will help me win more work.” Raising standards “across the board” Andy Ball is the Mechanical and Electrical Services Manager at Leeds City Council who wants to see Electrician EngTech rolled out, not just to council employees, but to the wider industry. Electricians and technical officers who gain Electrician EngTech demonstrate that, as individuals, they have a level of competence that goes above and beyond the norm,” Andy says, “It would be great to bring everyone in line and raise standards across the board. The driver for encouraging EngTech is to bring up the quality of work across the industry.” Electricians who achieve EngTech demonstrate to employers that they are thinking along the same lines – that they care about what they do and are committed to proving their individual competence and raising the standard of electrical work. As Jamie Holmes, a Technical Manager at East Electrical Services, puts it: “Having something like EngTech that you don’t have to do, but choose to, gives employers and contractors peace of mind that you take your work seriously.” Jamie adds that IET membership and EngTech registration have increased his professional networks and opportunities. “My electrical world is not as small as it once was,” he says. To find out more about Electrician EngTech and how to apply, or to organise a complimentary workshop for your team, visit theiet.org/mn-electrician-engtech Andy Ball IEng MIET FCMI Jamie Holmes EngTech TMIET Nikki Dennis EngTech TMIET Ricky Flynn Member News March 2019