Poll: Who on the forums DOESN'T work in IT

Do you work in IT?

  • Yes

    Votes: 364 34.1%
  • No

    Votes: 702 65.9%

  • Total voters
    1,066
I work in retail at the moment, but am currently digging my escape tunnel. Hoping to start a career with the police (civilian) soon, finally make use of my degree...and intelligence.
 
Not figured out how to quote people properly so forgive the lack of names.

NathanE
Yes it does. But you didn't design them. You didn't develop the first prototypes. So you can't claim to be the engineer of them. At least not with the "proper" usage of the term.

It doesn't sound like you're a "technician" either though.

If you come up with novel solutions to novel problems and have some form of asserting qualification then, generally, you are an engineer.

I never claimed to have anything to do with development of them my jobs a completely different side of things, we get the drawings and thats it its then our job to produce the planning/design the tooling needed to produce what the drawings specify.

KaHn
I am only stating facts I don't care if you wish to call your self a "Precision Engineer"

Sounds me like you think im making the job up, i will be when im fully qualified still an apprentice atm however like i said before my dads been a precision engineer for 30 years try telling him thats not his job as well as all the other skilled staff at work.

KaHn
you were to go and try and get chartered with any board, IMechE or RAES you will be classed as a skilled technician and would never be considered for CEng status, you would have to atleast finish an BEng(Hons) as a minimum for joining as a IEng and having Career Development to go to CEng.

I already stated i know i would need degree level qualifications to even consider being chartered its just something thats not needed in my job, i am however working towards my HND which i can top up to a degree if i feel like it at the time, If your chartered thats great for you but it doesn't make the thousands of engineers in the country that aren't chartered suddenly start calling themselves technicians you might not like it and it might not be correct but thats the way it is and has been for along time.
As for proving your point about how the majority of people are wrong it doesn't matter, for the vast majority of the population i think engineer means someone who works in that general area what matters is what kind of engineer i.e a structural engineer is obviously much more highly qualified than a fabricator, i bumped into someone i hadn't seen for years a few weeks ago and when i asked him how he was getting on he said he was into engineering as a welder/fabricator great for him im not going to start ripping into him because its not a chartered position its just the accepted term.
However Germany may do it is irrelevant, in this country engineer covers a very broad range of work hence why its always, electrical, mechanical, structural, aeronautical engineer etc etc. On the industrial estate my works at theres at least 6 other engineering company's ranging from fabrication to aerospace work and i doubt very many are chartered but can safely say they would all say there job is that of an engineer.

Routed through some college folders and found this its an engineering route map we got from SEMTA (sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies).

Im currently on an advanced apprenticeship going through to a HND which is the green route to an incorporated engineer. How exactly will i not be an "engineer" when i finish my training?
Interestingly though which i guess doesn't help after looking at this map is that all the courses at college even the level 1/2 courses are labeled as engineering courses with engineering qualifications its not surprising really that people when there done will say there an engineer.



Edit:

KaHn
this country however any "gas engineer" "electrical engineer" "service engineer" can call them selves that without ever going near a university.

After getting my A levels i decided instead of going via the Uni route to do an apprenticeship instead, the more sensible option as i could earn a wage not get in debt, study at the same time and i now think i couldn't possible learn more in the classroom than i have done getting stuck in with the actual work. As you can see university isn't the only option to higher education, a good job, and being able to call yourself an engineer.

That pictures a bit small, the keys hard to read but the red triangle is the HND and i might add the total time to complete an apprenticeship with HND is 5 years and thats started with A levels it would take 7 years straight from high school going straight into the workplace.
Most people stop at the engineering technician level on the map which is gained after completing the advanced apprenticeship, everybody i know that is at this level would call themselves an engineer without a doubt, below that are semi skilled/operators who never did an apprenticeship. to progress further requires higher education (HNC, HND, Degree)which doesn't have to be done at uni.
 
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Again, as I have said time and time again, in this country you can legally call your self and engineer without the degree/chartership, many degree qualified engineers (and me included before I started working) used to get uppity about this because the definition of and engineer is not someone who fabricates something from drawings, he is the guy who designs the machines that you work on, the guy who checks the design for flaws, tests the prototypes and checks every last detail.

I have a friend in the Aerospace industry, working with gas turbine blades, he is a senior design engineer, for 2 years he went from initial concept design to finished product, now tell me, does that sound a similiar job to yours? Or a welder? Or a fabricator?

I am not trying to say that your are not a "Engineer" in this country but that is because this country allows anyone to call them selves an engineer with out a degree.

My point about the continent is that Engineer is a protected term, like Doctor, Lawyer etc.

As I've said my comment was not to make light of your job, more of a pointer that the term engineer is thrown around too much in this country.

KaHn
 
Also from Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer#United_Kingdom said:
United Kingdom

In the UK, like in United States and Canada, engineers are trained in universities but some can start in a technical apprenticeship (4–5 years) prior to enrolling in a university engineering degree. In addition those people who are unable to attend university can enroll in the Engineering Council UK examination program administered by the City and Guilds of London Institute. Some of these institutions have previously invested heavily in engineering subjects and have become globally renowned. Many engineering courses are assessed and approved by the Professional Institutions reflecting the subject covered; IMechE, IET, BCS, ICE, IStructE etc. The degree then counts in part to obtaining Chartered Engineer status after a period (usually 4–8 years) of structured professional practice, professional review and, if required, further exams to then become a corporate member of the relevant professional body. The term 'Chartered Engineer' is regulated by Royal Assent and not allowed to be used by other professions; the awarding of this status is devolved to the professional institutions by the Engineering Council.

In the UK, most engineering courses take 3 years for an undergraduate bachelors and a 4 year period for an Undergraduate Masters. Students who read a 4 years engineering course are awarded an Masters of Engineering (as opposed to Masters of Science in Engineering)[8] Some universities allow a student to opt out after one year before completion of the programme and receive a Diploma if a student has successfully completed second year or certifificate if only successfully completed year one. Many courses includes an option of a year in industry, which is usually a year before completion. Students who opt for this are awarded a Sandwich degree[9].

KaHn
 
According to what Ive been reading after Ive got my HND i will be well on the way to becoming an incorporated engineer according to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporated_engineer
Incorporated Engineers currently require an IEng accredited Bachelors or honours degree in engineering or technology, or a Higher National Certificate or Diploma or a Foundation Degree in engineering or technology, plus appropriate further learning to degree level or an NVQ4 or SVQ4 which has been approved for the purpose by a licensed engineering institution.

Im currently on the HND path/work based learning so when thats complete i could finish off by doing the appropriate NVQ4 which the college offers allowing me to call myself an engineer even though im "only" doing precision engineering still, would you still be annoyed?, your right your friends job is nothing like mine yet neither is welding/fabricating.
 
Ive not been really looking into these professional bodies properly yet as its still a while away until im finished however a quick look at http://www.engc.org.uk/ukspec/ shows that my job definitely fulfills the required criteria for EngTech

Standard route applicants are individuals who hold a qualification which has been
approved by a licensed professional engineering institution as providing evidence
of part or all of the required competence. Individuals who have successfully
completed an approved engineering-based Advanced/Modern Apprenticeship
or equivalent programme provide the most obvious example. They will need
to provide evidence that their apprenticeship included training integrated with
substantial working experience, and to demonstrate commitment to future
development of their competence and to their Institution’s code of conduct.
This may fulfil all of the EngTech competence requirements and so can lead
directly to Engineering Technician registration.

Also IEng can be achieved by just following on from my HND, although it looks like i couldn't get CEng without moving on to more study/ different career however the HND will open the door to that if im still motivated by then.

Found my course on the list of accredited courses

Mechanical Engineering
Ref: 7851 Section: IEng
Further Learning required from 2002 intake
Type Award FEANI Accredited Accredited By
Unspecified Part Time HND 2002 - 2006 IIE
2 year(s) Full Time HND 2007 - 2011 IET
 
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To be classed as an engineer in Germany or other countries you have to be a degree qualified and normally chartered engineer, in this country however any "gas engineer" "electrical engineer" "service engineer" can call them selves that without ever going near a university.

In this country you get a lot of people complaining about this, I for one used to get annoyed with it, now I just let people get on with it as it doesn't affect anyone in your field (as an engineer) just when you meet people.

Normal scenario is

Girl - "So what do you do?"

Guy - "I'm a mechanical engineer for X Company"

Girls - "Oh so you fix cars?"

Guy - "FALCON PUNCH!"

KaHn

My local hairdresser up the road (not the one I frequent btw) is now advertising for a Senior Colour Engineer. That made me laugh for two days. What I'm still laughing at is the sales lady in Dreams this morning introducing herself as a Sleep Consultant. I actually burst out laughing in front of her. She was very offended.

What is it with this country and our precious and beloved titles?
 
As [TW]Fox puts it... I am a spanner monkey. so definitely don't work in IT.

Although I do use a PC all day to tune/diagnose the cars so make up your own mind on that one
(voted NO though)
 
I don't although I have a Computer Science degree... at the moment I'm a night cleaner! Yeah go me! :D

Edit: Oh btw a night cleaner is someone who cleans but at night! :p
 
My local hairdresser up the road (not the one I frequent btw) is now advertising for a Senior Colour Engineer. That made me laugh for two days. What I'm still laughing at is the sales lady in Dreams this morning introducing herself as a Sleep Consultant. I actually burst out laughing in front of her. She was very offended.

What is it with this country and our precious and beloved titles?

I'm a Brand Ambassador supposedly...aka...promo guy...haha
 
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