Mentoring may be the key

There is evidence to suggest this is in fact the case, and that candidates who are mentored are more likely to be successful at their professional review than those who are not. At the latest workshop held by ECUK on mentoring it became clear that this is an area where there needs to be more inter-institution sharing, both of good practice and resources.

The one-day workshop provided an opportunity for staff and members from ten institutions to discuss all the key aspects of the subject. Topics covered included the role, selection and training of mentors and the rewards of becoming one, the benefits of keeping this an unpaid, voluntary role, and the pros and cons – largely cons – of remote mentoring. Examples of good practice were provided in presentations from the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers (IGEM).

IHEEM recognises that mentoring is all but essential for candidates for registration who lack the right academic qualifications and are applying using the technical report option. However, it is generally accepted that any young, would- be registrant is likely to benefit from the wide-ranging support and guidance that a mentor can offer applicants. Some institutions have proved very successful at matching mentors to “mentees”, and there is definite scope here for other institutions to make use of such services. Promisingly, both the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institute of Physics (IOP) already hold workshops for mentors that are open to those from other institutions. Hopefully this might lead to a wider collaboration between professional bodies, one that would also extend to locating suitable mentors for those who struggle to find one.

Indeed, the development of a profession-wide mentoring “matchmaking” service could well give a significant boost to registrant numbers. It would be particularly valuable to the many engineers working for SMEs, a sector where registration has traditionally had a limited foothold.

This piece has been taken from the EC Reg News Issue 40 and is available to view on the IHEEM website, where further information on Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer and Engineering Technician (registration) can be found.