(Article from Journal 2022/01 Vol140 Pt1)

Our 2021 Celebration Event was a whopper, as covid had caused us to cancel the 2020 occasion. We were delighted to invite 100 of our members who had achieved professional registration with us, to the prestigious Waterloo room at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall on 17 November 2021 to celebrate their achievement.

President Nick Millington welcomed all to the event, congratulating the awardees on their achievement and encouraging them to now think about sustainable personal development – to pledge to give back to others as they have received and in doing so, the profession will multiply. The PWI has a recognised professional development pathway journey and brings together a massive peer group with huge knowledge to call on.

Simon Blanchflower, CEO East West Rail was invited to reflect on his prestigious career and provide his forward look for the rail industry. He spoke of a few pivotal moments in his career: accepting responsibility and challenges early on, whilst seeking support from others and learning from mistakes; moving out beyond a comfort zone and into new opportunities; and understanding the railway as a system. Simon encouraged focus on three Ss for a long, bright and satisfying career: Systems approach to engineering; Sustainability – to leave the environment in a better position; and Social Value – a social return on investment in the industry through building communities, collaboration and connectivity.

This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and congratulate the hard endeavour of our professional registrants, and for them to network with industry leaders from across the Institution and our corporate membership.
Might we see you at our next Celebration Event? Professional registration is open to any competent practising engineer or technician.

Visit our professional registration pages.

“I have been working on the railway in the heritage sector for the past 15 years and I have always strived to gain qualifications in rail engineering. The PWI has helped greatly with their courses and their route to professional registration. It has always been a goal in life to gain recognition amongst my peers for my achievements in learning.

After joining the PWI, I had put off my EngTech application for some time as I thought it was going to be a difficult process. But after sitting down with the members from my local Section I decided to have a crack at it. The Exeter Section set up a professional registration workshop which was really useful in getting through the application. With support from the PWI, colleagues, Supporter (Paul Merrington) and Sponsor (Mark Woollacott), the whole process from start to finish was straightforward. I just needed to overcome my initial doubts. It was also an enjoyable trip down memory lane reliving the projects and experiences throughout my career.

Achieving EngTech with the PWI is a major milestone which will lead to increased responsibility and my continuing commitment to maintain safety, improve my engineering knowledge and to better help the heritage sector.

I would recommend to everyone who has thought about professional registration to take the plunge and have a go.”

“Firstly, I would like to thank Paul Ebbutt for his support and encouragement throughout the Technical Report (TR) process. Especially when I started to lose patience and enthusiasm.

My background is maintenance. I have worked in the industry for a total of 20 years, first with British Rail and then, after leaving and returning, with AMEC/Network Rail working on the front line as a Trackman, Assistant Section Manager, Section Manager and now as an Asset Engineer.

Becoming an Incorporated Engineer through the TR route is hard enough for anyone, but doing it from a purely maintenance background adds that little extra twist. I’m not an academic by any stretch of the imagination, so having to write a technical report that demonstrates academic knowledge and understanding to Bachelor level was also a challenge within itself. However, this is where a good Sponsor and Supporter are worth their weight in gold.

What I think I have proved is that no matter what your education and background is, if you are determined enough and have the knowledge and the desire, you can achieve your goals.

Maintenance needs more experienced registered engineers and I am proud to have come from that environment and proven that it can be achieved.

My next target is to become Chartered; that for me is the pinnacle of what I want to achieve in my career. With the industry’s ever increasing drive towards safety and reliability, maintenance needs to have that professional presence if it is to be recognised and taken as the professional organisation that it is.

I would say to anyone who wants to develop their career and learn techniques and processes, not just from track but from all disciplines within the rail industry, then joining the PWI is the way forward. Getting yourself professionally registered will earn you recognition and respect from your peers and will set you in good stead for the rest of your career, no matter how long you’ve been working in this industry.”

“I have been working in railway research (EngD) and railway engineering for six years and during this period I gained important technical and safety experience. Working in railway engineering requires continuous learning, improvement and facing multiple challenges. Joining the PWI offered me the opportunity to access a great variety of knowledge, shared though Section events, conferences and through the Journal; interact with important people of the industry; and follow recent developments, innovations and best practices in UK railway industry.

Becoming a Chartered Engineer will increase the technical and managerial credibility with my current employer and their clients. It is confirmation of my experience and commitment to the profession and will certainly have a positive impact on my future career goals.

The PWI registration team was really helpful, the guidelines are very detailed, and the registration process straightforward. I am grateful for the mentors I had throughout my career and my Sponsor. The path was not easy, especially in an industry that is dominated by men. I would really encourage and am willing to help other engineers, and particularly women engineers, seek professional registration and career development through the PWI.”

WHAT’S IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 2022?

Professional registration is open to any competent practising engineer or technician. The PWI is here for your journey and would love to support you in your career aspirations.

Different levels and pathways to registration are available, depending on your experience, training and qualifications.

Find your route to registration.