The Engineering Council UK (ECUK) is to address the current lack of any professional qualification for IT and communication systems technicians by offering them the chance to apply for registration as information and communications technology technicians. Those meeting the competence requirements for entry onto the new register will be granted the post-nominal title ICTTech.
IET research and discussions with ICT sector bodies and employers have revealed solid support for the proposed new award. ICT technicians are found in many industries, and the pool from which registrants will be drawn is estimated to number at least 150,000.
A competence-based ICTTech standard has been drafted in consultation with interested parties. It follows the same basic format as the ECUK standard (UK-SPEC) used to assess those wishing to register as engineering technicians (EngTech).
Before ECUK can invite candidates to apply for the ICTTech title, it must first finalise the standard and award licences to the initial group of institutions wishing to make it available to their members.
The Privy Council must also approve amendments to ECUK’s byelaws.
