Comment: Platform to move forward18 March 2025

The combined sector committee of the BES and IPlantE met for the first time on 4 February with a packed agenda. The new committee was well balanced with elected and co-opted members and the initial indication is the format worked well and should provide a platform going forward enabling both sectors to develop and grow. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the committee for the positivity in helping with the transition.

The primary aim of the group is to promote growth in SOE membership and professional registration, and to ensure a sustainable future for all. The joint group was familiarised with initiatives that have been on going within the two groups and wider society.

Of particular interest, was the update to the 2023 paper on net zero (www.tinyurl.com/4r3d3yzy), which is being worked on, and it was agreed we should seek acceptance from the board to work on a new paper answering some of the questions surrounding global warming. Thanks to Ian Jackson and Mark Hansford for doing the preliminary work on this.

Over the last 12 months considerable effort has gone into producing a paper: ‘Why everyone in positions of engineering responsibility should be EngTech, IEng, or CEng’. The objective is to stimulate thought within government, employers and individuals as to why professional registration is essential and how it benefits the whole of society. The paper claims that only an estimated 3% of the 8.1 million people working in the UK’s engineering economy are registered with the UK Engineering Council. Once we have sign off from the board we will determine a campaign for delivery of the paper.

There are now four CPD sessions confirmed for 2025, with a fifth in the making. The first session this year held on 10 February, was a dive into the importance of ensuring accuracy when completing a thorough examination report. Thanks goes to Waleed Bakali, a senior solicitor, for the interesting and thought-provoking session and to the record-breaking 250 people that attended the session, online and in person.

The next event will be in May with promotion and registration details to follow soon. Again, it will take place in person at Greencoat Place, London and also online. The session will be delivered by D2E Lift consultants looking at defective back up battery systems on lifts, raising questions and promoting discussion amongst the inspection industry.

Dominic Dawson, chair, BES

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