Prove your competence
'Within the next 18 to 24 months, industry will have to be much more proactive about proving the competence of its engineers and technicians at all levels. That's certainly the case in the rail sector. We're going to want to see external validation and/or EC(UK) registration through a licensed professional engineering institution - and that applies to all contractors and subcontractors.'
Raise your safety game
During the 10 years that LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) and PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) have been in operation, they've played a significant role in providing safe working environments across industry. Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) member inspection companies, for example, carried out nearly 300,000 lift examinations and detected 14,000 safety defects - enabling timely corrective action to avert accidents, injury, damage and consequential loss.
Past, present and future
Verity Davidge, head of education and skills policy at manufacturers’ organisation EEF, speaks about the current skills situation in maintenance-related occupations, and what the future may hold
Straining to be heard
Talk 'training and education' to the leading lights in many businesses and there's a strong probability their eyes will glaze over. It's not a subject that's dear to everyone's heart. It doesn't set the pound signs rolling in the financial director's eyes. It fails to halt board members in their tracks as they plough through the latest forecasts or debate tough new measures to boost financial growth - or ward off its decline.
Teach a man to fish
The Leitch Review of Skills, published in December 2006, warned that the UK must raise its game on training and education, if it is to sustain, never mind improve, its position in the global economy. Whether that study will turn out to have been the much-needed catalyst for finally turning around this country's long-term skills shortage, remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: it spawned a veritable plethora of initiatives and schemes - some fancy, others down to earth - from government and non-governmental organisations, professional institutions, specialist training providers, manufacturers' service organisations, you name it.
Hard headed young engineers
It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, they used to say. And so it is with interest that we observe a significant rise in the numbers of engineering, technology, science and maths students taking up 'The Year in Industry' scheme, which provides worthwhile paid-for gap years for pre-university students.
Skills Shortage - Where there's a skill....there's a way
While there could well be more academic engineering graduates than the country really needs, there is no doubt that there is an acute shortage of people with properly honed practical skills.
Commercial Vehicle '08
What: Commercial Vehicle Show 2008 Where: NEC, Birmingham When: April 15-17 How: www.cvshow.com
Gas Train
The Industrial Gas Operations Accreditation Scheme, designed to provide an independent determination of competence for those working on large-scale gas installations, is two years old. How is it faring?
A man of the people
When John Ratcliff, CBE, was made Patron of the SOE (Society of Operations Engineers) a year ago, not only did he see that as a tremendous honour, he also regarded is as a huge responsibility. For one thing, he was passionately committed to ensuring that each of the SOE's professional sectors - IPlantE, IRTE and BES - did not suffer from a loss of identity or become swallowed up by the umbrella organisation.