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I feel the Institution of Road Transport Engineers is losing its direction on education and training. Once, one's IRTE membership was an egalitarian mark of quality.
I believe the IRTE is threatening its very future by asking members to achieve academic qualifications which would not look out of place at Nasa. Take the registration of engineers through the engineering council, Eng tech, lEng and CEng. What chance have older engineers of keeping up with this new breed of qualification?
Academic qualifications have their rightful place, even in the motor industry. To obtain lEng you now require a BEng degree. I looked into this and stopped as soon as I saw the content of the degree. I would rather stick with the qualifications I have already obtained (HNC Mechanical Engineering). But job vacancies now ask for membership of the IRTE including lEng, so what does the future hold for the lesser grades of member among the rank and file of the IRTE?
NVQ and SVQ were intended as comprehensive qualifications for the industry. Yet in CM(28 Oct-3 Nov 1999), the Vehicle Inspectorate states its own staff are studying Btech qualifications in automotive engineering supported by NVQ/SVQ. Why? It is interesting to note the VI does not look for applicants to be registered with the engineering council or be members of the IRTE.
How can the VI call its staff "engineers", when all they possess is a tapping hammer and academic qualification? Indeed, how can they study for an NVQ or SVQ when they do not repair motor vehicles?
And we cannot overlook the cost to individuals who train themselves to keep abreast of industry changes, or to the industry itself.
!have to agree with John Dickson-Simpson when he says that many of us will not want to be part of an association which represents grades of engineer rather than simply transport engineers.
If I wanted,lcould join other institutes, such as thellE, steeped in traditional engineering. Their members are nearly all registered as lEng and CEng, the majority holding degrees in various academic disciplines.
I am well aware that there are skilled academics employed in the engineering industry. But I feel that lam being asked to obtain something which is out of my reach, and being undermined, by the IRTE and the VI which do not recognise my qualifications.
Subsequently, my motivation and love for the industry is waning.
John Monotony,
Via e-mall.