Gateways to the Professions Flexible Pathways to becoming a Professional Engineer

1. Gateways to the Professions Flexible Pathways to becoming a Professional Engineer Work-based Learning Programmes Engage Conference 15th January 2008 Jonathan Ling

2. History 2004 Langlands Report on providing “clear, accessible gateways to people who want to pursue professional careers”. Government’s response to the Report included the announcement of a Gateways Development Fund of £6m over 3 years up to March 2008 ECUK were invited to bid for funding

3. ECUK Project: Flexible Pathways to becoming a Professional Engineer Develop models of flexible pathways into and through HE, leading to professional status in engineering To benefit those who cannot or are unwilling to undertake an HE based programme Launch a WBL programme based on the current Kingston model Project to last up to 2011 with DIUS funding front-loaded over first two years.

4. Project Aims • To provide routes to professional registration which will integrate education (from Foundation Degrees to Masters level) with supervised work-based professional development, thus potentially satisfying all the requirements for CEng and IEng registration initially and, later, EngTech. • To create a set of nationally approved WBL mechanisms that lead to professional status and are adopted by the majority of HEIs and PEIs. • To design, validate, launch and accredit pilot programmes at a group of first stage HEIs

5. Partners • HEIs – Kingston, Northumbria, Hertfordshire & Staffordshire Universities • PEIs – IET, RAeS & IMechE • Industrial representatives • Management • Co-managed by ECUK and Kingston University • Regular bi-monthly Project Team Meetings • Project Team reports to the Project Steering Committee which meets quarterly

6. UK-SPEC United Kingdom Standard for Professional Engineering Competence • CEng – Chartered Engineer • IEng – Incorporated Engineer • EngTech – Engineering Technician 6

7. Professional WBL programmes Entry Gateway Exit GatewayProfessional Review Interview Experience and skill-sets required Underpinning knowledge required UK-SPEC CompetenceQualification Awarded (MSc, BEng or TC) 2 to 4 years WBL programme

8. Meeting the UK-SPEC Competences • Entry Gateway measures existing competence so determining the basis for the work-based programme. Learning Contract established. • Qualifications are awarded as follows: • CEng: Work-based learning Programme is Postgraduate leading to MSc (180 M Level Credits) • IEng: WBL Programme is Post Foundation Degree (or Higher National) leading to BEng (60 Level 6 Credits or 120 for Hons) • EngTech: WBL Programme is Post 16 leading to Level 3 Technical Certificate (NC/ND or equivalent) • Professional Development in the work place is mentored, monitored and recorded • Exit Gateway contains final assessment and check on competence. It can contain NVQ assessment at levels 5, 4, or 3 respectively and may be part of an apprenticeship 8

9. MSc Professional Engineering Based on Kingston University’s Masters by Learning Contract CHARTERED ENGINEER (CEng) INCORPORATED ENGINEER (IEng) Bachelors Degree final Year 120 (for Hons) or 60 Credits at level 6 Work Based Bachelors Degree Top –up Year 60 or 120 (Hons) Credits at level 6 or PG Certificate Bachelors Degree Year 2 120 Credits Foundation Degree Year 2 30+% delivered in industry Bachelors Degree Year 1 120 Credits Foundation Degree Year 1 30+% delivered in industry Engineering Technician (EngTech) Foundation Degree Year 0 including work based learning and experience Entry Qualifications A-Levels, Baccalaureate, National Qualifications etc Work Based Learning and Vocational Experience within an Advanced Apprenticeship (Technical Certificate and NVQ Level 3) 9

10. MSc Professional Engineering Intending participant completes a Professional Development Audit to determine the gap between current competences and those of UK-SPEC. This is part of the Learning Contract process, and provides academic credit • Writes goals or agrees modular programme and agrees Learning Contract to meet: • QAA M-level requirements in the work-based learning contract template • UK-SPEC competence requirements No Does participant have exemplifying qualifications? Is the evidence of competence from the Professional Development Audit sufficient to consider participant as a potential CEng Candidate? Yes Yes Are Learning Contract intended outcomes sufficient to consider participant as potential CEng Candidate? No No Yes Learning Contract submitted to University’s Board of Study for approval as an MSc Professional Engineering participant. PEI membership sought. Learning Contract submitted to University’s Board of Study for approval as an MSc Technology student – not subject to UK-SPEC Competence assessment. Participant sufficiently meets all Learning Outcomes for HEI award? UK-SPEC competences met? Participant sufficiently meets all Learning Outcomes for HEI award? Yes Yes SUCCESS in PEI Professional Review & P R Interview SUCCESS In HEI Viva Voce Examination Yes Yes CEng REGISTRATION MSc AWARDED 10

11. A Learning Contract An individually designed programme specifying outcome(s), activities, assessment criteria and mode of assessment. Learning outcomes may be delivered within a series of “modules” Projects APEL TM APCL Company Courses 11

12. Issues • Challenging timescales • Familiarisation with concept (accreditation/registration issues) • Professional Development records • Mentoring • Programme cannot be marketed as a ‘guaranteed route’ to registration • IEng and EngTech programmes 12

13. Further information • “DfES” and PEIs receive regular reports and updates • “engineering Gateways” electronic newsletter published quarterly • www.engineeringgateways.co.uk