The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) saw a 25% rise in the number of engineers registering in 2012 compared with 2011.
The IMechE registered more Chartered Engineers (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and Engineering Technicians (EngTech) – the three standard grades of registration – in 2012 than any other UK engineering institution.
The IMechE registered more professional engineers in 2012 than any other UK engineering institution. A total of 2,078 new Engineering Technicians, Incorporated Engineers and Chartered Engineers joined the group.
Chartered Engineers alone accounted for 1,435 of new members, an 18% increase on the previous year. The remainder was made up of 202 incorporated engineers, a 28% increase, and 441 engineering technicians an encouraging 52% rise on 2011.
“We are committed to supporting engineers and their employers,” Stephen Tetlow, chief executive of the IMechE said, “we want to help them validate their skills, knowledge and experience by gaining professional registration.”
Joining a professional organisation has been shown to offer members better career prospects and higher pay.
“It is great for working abroad”, said Erica Herrero-Martinez, spokesperson for IMechE, “purely academic qualifications are often not as transferable as being accredited by an institution.”
Women still remain underrepresented in mechanical engineering only accounting for 137 of the 1,435 new chartered engineers.
The institution is however working hard to improve the number of women in mechanical engineering.
“We are trying to get out the message through our current president Professor Isobel Pollock that engineering can be a good profession for women”.
Within the next few months the IMechE will also be publishing a policy statement on how to encourage more women to become mechanical engineers.
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