There is no doubt the infusion of Level 8 and Level 9 graduates from the third level academic institutions in Ireland as Ordinary Members is fundamental to the sustainable development of Engineers Ireland as a representative body for the Engineering Profession. Introducing new technology, learning and youthful energy combined with the wisdom from paths already travelled by senior members makes for a vibrant collective. The bonus, for example, graduates with a Level 9 academic qualification have the educational standard required to immediately advance on their career development path to be awarded the Registered Title of Chartered Engineer. “Considered to be the gold standard of the profession, the professional title of Chartered Engineer was established in Ireland over 50 years ago.”[1]
Engineers Ireland, according to its website, “is a qualification-based membership organisation that needs to confirm you completed your qualification before you can be considered for full membership (“MIEI” stands for Member of Institution of Engineers Ireland) by our Membership Qualification Board (MQB).” We expand on the membership regulations associated with this statement elsewhere.
Engineers Ireland maintains an accreditation programme with third level academic institutions in Ireland that offer engineering based courses, evaluated against its criteria which “creates, maintains and ensures a consistent standard of engineering programmes in Ireland”. An accredited list of courses was published on its website on 15th March 2023.
Review Bookended by Presidents from Academia
It is fitting that this period of review was also bookended by Presidents of Engineers Ireland who were also representatives of the third level academic institutions in Ireland. The President (2008-2009) who, at that time, was also the president of the since re-branded University of Galway, “emphasised the need to attract more students into engineering programmes and ultimately into our profession in order for our society and economy to prosper”.[2]
At the latter end of this period, the eleven page presidential address by Engineers Ireland President (2021-2022) was perhaps more focused on the past than on the present, with the word ‘industry’ favourably mentioned thirty times in the speech. The only mention of the word ‘environment’ in this speech was in the context of funding, taxation, support and agency, without any consideration for the twin emergencies needing the greatest emphasis; Climate breakdown and Biodiversity loss. The word ‘sustainable’ was singularly associated with manufacture and industry. The President (2021-2022), who recently was announced as incoming president of University College Dublin, continued this theme in the report to Council[3] saying “I would argue that the engineering profession is the one most distinctively associated with Ireland’s industrial transformation over recent decades.” Not once did the ‘Environment’ or ‘Climate’ feature in this report to Council. Perhaps more reflective of where the leadership in Engineers Ireland is at, rather than its membership.
There is no doubt that this leadership has had both an influence and impact on aspiring graduate engineers. We have collated the data regarding the trends in Ordinary membership in Engineers Ireland, particularly of graduates, over the review period, which was analysed from the limited ‘information’ published in the Engineers Ireland Annual Reports. This includes the Ordinary Members that transferred to Registered Titles, Ordinary Members that did not renew membership and new graduates who are registered as Ordinary Members by Engineers Ireland. In addition, statistical data sourced from the Higher Education Authority on the number of graduates in specific courses is included for the period 2016-2021 for comparison purposes.
The trends in Ordinary Members of Engineers Ireland over the period of 2010-2021 is informative, particularly in the context of our article on “What does membership ‘growth’ in Engineers Ireland mean?”.
- During the tenure of the Director General (2007-2015) between the years 2010[4]-2015 a total of 1,604 Ordinary Members transferred to Registered Titles and 1,912 Ordinary Members did not renew their membership, thus an overall net loss in Corporate Members of 308.
- During the tenure of the Director General (2015-2022) between the years 2016-2021 a total of 978 Ordinary Members transferred to Registered Titles and a net additional 396 new Ordinary Members were recorded, while 313 Ordinary Members did not renew their membership resulting in an overall net gain in Corporate Members of 1,374.[5]
- However, the total number of Ordinary Members in Engineers Ireland for the period 2010-2021 has decreased from 10,318 to 8,914, (-13.61%). If the review was from 2009 when the total number of Ordinary Members was 10,430 then the reduction at the end of year 2021 is even greater (-14.53%).
The annual number of graduates from third level academic institutions as reported by the Higher Education Authority Statistics (HEA) provides context as to the potential for graduate candidates for Ordinary membership to Engineers Ireland. They include the Level 8 Bachelor’s degree (Honours) full-time courses in the following disciplines: Information and Communication Technologies, Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction; and the Level 9 Master’s degree courses from the same disciplines. Granted, not all of these courses might be Engineers Ireland accredited. However, all candidates can potentially be assessed by the normal routes to Ordinary membership as set out in the Membership Regulations(2020).
- The number of graduates from these courses in Ireland according to the HEA Statistics is extraordinary. For example, in 2016 there were 6,232 graduates in the specific courses outlined earlier. In 2020 the number of graduates had increased to 8,619 for that year.
Accountability
During the tenure of the Director General (2015-2022) for which we have data from the HEA Statistics to compare with, there are Ordinary membership results that Council should have found unacceptable.
- Based on the Higher Education Authority Statistics (HEA) there were 29,974 Level 8 and 14,699 Level 9 graduates[6] over this period from a limited number of academic courses[7]. The net gain in Ordinary Members of Engineers Ireland for this period represents approximately 3% of the 44,673 graduates from Level 8 and Level 9 engineering related courses in Irish Academic Institutions.
- From reviewing the Engineers Ireland Annual Reports, for example, in 2020 there was a net loss of 121 Ordinary Members, having adjusted for transfers to Registered Titles. The same year the HEA Statistics shows 8,619 graduated in the academic courses alone at either Level 8 or Level 9. This matter of Ordinary membership take-up by graduates from the Irish third-level academic system appears to be even more critical, with the announcement[8] by Engineers Ireland that “approximately 40% of our new members were global engineers” that same year.
- For the period (2009-2021) total Ordinary Members of Engineers Ireland, adjusting for transfers to Registered Titles, declined (-14.53%). When compared to the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) for the same time period[9], it saw substantial growth (+20.33%) in its Graduate members, a performance deficit by Engineers Ireland of almost 35%.
It is remarkable that the President (2021-2022), who recently was announced as incoming president of University College Dublin, did not appear to raise concern at the poor uptake of graduate engineers to become Ordinary Members of Engineers Ireland during her four-year term as an Officer of Engineers Ireland. Reported in the Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2021 accounts, Third Level Academic Institutions contributed €72,200 towards the accreditation of engineering courses by Engineers Ireland. Since 2015, the Third Level Academic Institutions have contributed almost €0.5M to the accreditation of engineering courses by Engineers Ireland.[10]
Graduates from these courses, appear to be sending a signal by not recognising Engineers Ireland as being integral to the development of their future career paths. Will third level academic institutions therefore, begin to question the relevance and cost of the accreditation process?
Ultimate accountability rests with Council. It is up to members on Council to exercise their reserved duties and powers to ensure that those to whom they have delegated responsibility to, are held to account.
[1] Pathway to Chartered Engineer Title 2020
[2] Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2008;
[3] Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2021;
[4] No membership data was published in Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2008 to determine the change in 2009 membership.
[5] If the FIEI member data is included, then these figures correlate with the Corporate membership data already presented.
[6] Note: All courses may not be Engineers Ireland accredited. However, all candidates could potentially be assessed by normal routes.
[7] Level 8: Bachelor’s degree (Hons) Full-time {Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs); Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction}; Level 9: Master’s degree (Research/Taught) {Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs); Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction}
[8] Engineers Ireland Annual Report 2020, {page 31}
[9] ICE Annual Report 2013, ICE Annual Report 2021
[10] The Third Level Academic Institutions contributed €72,200 in 2021, €55,300 in 2020, €127,200 in 2019, €96,200 in 2018, €35,705 in 2017, €67,086 in 2016, and €40,971 in 2015
Conscientious Observers 