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Dear <<Prefered Name>>,
We are pleased in this November issue to include information about our proactive Young Engineers society, Engineers Week 2018, our CPD recording tool - which has been receiving a positive response from members - and results from a recent survey we did which shows a confident business outlook on growth and jobs for 2018 expressed by engineering employers. Similarly 2017 was a positive year for many employers and tomorrow night, our Excellence Awards celebrate some of those innovative and creative projects. The best of luck to all nominees.
Engineers Ireland has published a series of policy briefs on a variety of issues linked to engineering in Ireland. These two-page documents summarise background research and Engineers Ireland’s positions on:
The policy briefs will shape Engineers Ireland’s submissions to public consultations, assist in proactive engagement with policymakers and the work of our representatives on committees and in the media.
The publication of these briefs follows a consultation period which we highlighted in the September issue of Connect.
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With best wishes
Caroline Spillane
Director General of Engineers Ireland
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Record your CPD - convenient online tool for members
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"The availability of this method for recording CPD is very helpful and encouraged me to keep accurate records more than previous methods."
"Straight forward and well-designed."
"I'm very happy with how to access and use My CPD to record my training."
- Member quotes from our summer survey of this service
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Continuous Professional Development is the process of lifelong learning for professionals.
In 2017, Engineers Ireland developed My CPD – an online CPD recording tool designed to help members to easily record their CPD.
My CPD allows you to plan, record and reflect upon and refer to your CPD activities at any time, no matter where you are and throughout your career.
Thousands of our members have been recording their learning activities on My CPD throughout the year - a survey during the summer found a 96.7% satisfaction rate among members who have used it.
These links below will provide you with more information:
All non-student members are required to undertake and record 35 hours’ CPD each year.
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Book your next course with Engineers Ireland |
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The Engineers Ireland CPD training team is committed to providing members and non-members with engaging, relevant and professional CPD training events. CPD is important to professionals working in every sector, supporting day-to-day work life and instrumental in career progression.
Engineers Ireland works with professional training providers and tutors to deliver these training programmes. They have many years’ experience and continue to receive excellent feedback from delegates.
Events organised by our CPD training team range from seminars with eight to ten presentations relating to current issues, to training courses with smaller groups on soft skills and technical topics. A recent evaluation of delegate feedback showed that there was a 97% satisfaction rate following their attendance, agreeing that it met their learning objectives. “Well-structured and well-timed… certainly worthwhile and insightful. Very well executed programme,” said one delegate, with another saying “speakers were very engaging with well-prepared presentations. It was also a good event to facilitate networking within the sector.”
The CPD training calendar is regularly updated with new and varied courses and seminars while still offering popular training courses that have run for many years.
You can view our CPD training calendar here for a list of forthcoming training events.
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Business outlook positive as 82% of engineering employers plan to hire in 2018
A new Engineers Ireland survey has revealed that 79% of engineering employers expect their businesses to grow in 2018. The findings, published ahead of our Excellence Awards event tomorrow night, indicate that engineering employers are very confident for the year ahead with 82% also planning to hire more engineers.
2017 was also viewed in a positive light by those surveyed, with 60% saying their financial position improved or greatly improved and included job creation over the year.
The survey also captured some of the challenges facing growth in the sector. Half of engineering employers believe that there is an inadequate supply of engineers with the necessary skills to meet their organisation’s needs in the medium term. Also, 68% of engineering employers believe that Irish planning laws need to change to expedite infrastructure development.
The Employer Survey featured responses from approximately 250 engineering employers in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Employers were drawn from small, medium and large enterprises and from the various disciplines of engineering, including civil/construction, mechanical, manufacturing, energy, life sciences, electrical and electronic.
Hear our Director General Caroline Spillane speak about the survey on Morning Ireland.
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Industry news - Reed beds – a natural solution for Ireland’s waste-treatment problems?
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Industry news - Eirgrid’s energy scenarios – planning to power Ireland’s future
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Our community - the work of our Young Engineers society
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Dave Linehan (pictured) writes in this issue about the work of this special interest group for young member engineers.
I am delighted to contribute to this edition of Connect as Chair of the Young Engineers society (YES). When we say young engineer, people often imagine we’re a group of recently qualified and inexperienced engineers. But in fact, YES represents over 10,000 engineering students and young professional members of Engineers Ireland up to the age of 35.
The society is entirely volunteer driven, run by young engineers for the benefit of other young engineers. All our events are free or heavily subsidised and CPD accredited. Our events give members an excellent opportunity to meet their peers, share, learn and inspire.
There have been a number of highlights over the past year including:
- An event focusing on career progression and the key skills and competencies that are sought by employers and recruiters of new engineering hires today
- The inaugural ‘Talking Engineers’ public speaking and presentation skills competition for final year engineering students
- An event celebrating women in engineering and leadership, developed to promote and encourage female participation in the engineering profession
- Networking events including the annual YES Ball, barbecue and Christmas quiz
The Young Engineers society has grown significantly over the past few months as more young members learn the value of being part of our network. We are currently developing a programme for the coming 6 months including workshops, seminars, site visits, guest speaker lectures, networking opportunities and support for becoming a chartered engineer. You can book your place on the planned site visit to Intel below.
We look forward to working closely with other Engineers Ireland regions, divisions and societies to continue adding to our programme of events for 2017/18. To get involved or for more information please email yes@engineersireland.ie. I look forward to hearing from you! |
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Dave Linehan
Chair of the Young Engineers Society
If you are a Chair of one of our Regional Branches, Engineering Divisions or Societies, we would be delighted to receive your input to this section. Feel free to email us.
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Site visit to Intel Ireland – 17 October
Places are limited to 20 participants so advance booking is necessary.
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Galway Engineer lends her support to Engineers Week 2018
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On the 26 October we launched Engineers Week 2018 with the help of NUI Galway PhD engineering student and Mars researcher, Ilaria Cinelli.
Entering its 12th year, Engineers Week is held annually to promote engineering as a career and the importance of the profession to Ireland. The annual event is coordinated on a national basis by Engineers Ireland's STEPS programme - a strategic partner of Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) Smart Futures Programme.
Ilaria is pictured above with Caroline Spillane, our Director General, Dr Ruth Freeman, (left), Director of Strategy and Communications, SFI – and two young superheroes.
The PhD student is calling on the public, students, industry, local authorities, third-level and schools nationally to get involved in the Week next February, to log on to www.engineersweek.ie and “really engage with the powerful impact modern engineering has on Ireland, the world and towards better understanding of our whole universe.”
Commencing on 24 February, Engineers Ireland will also be showing the Dream Big: Engineering Our World movie, (narrated by Jeff Bridges), during the Week, in secondary schools around the country. From the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings, to underwater robots, solar cars and smart, sustainable cities, Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small. |
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Engineers Ireland in numbers
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133 Registered Training Providers
120 CPD Accredited Organisations
1 Community
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