The number of individuals registering with the Engineering Council UK (ECUK) as Engineering Technicians (EngTech) during 2008 has risen for the fourth consecutive year.

The new influx of registrants brings the total number of current EngTech registrants to 13,711, representing an increase of 1,343 since the beginning of the year. And more than half of this intake for 2008 was from three institutions: SOE, InstRE and CIPHE.

For the third year running, SOE (the Society of Operations Engineers) was responsible for the registration of a large percentage of EngTechs.

Chief Executive Nick Jones believes that this achievement is due to the Society's commitment to developing apprentices into competent and skilled engineers: "SOE prides itself on nourishing the careers of engineering professionals. From the workshop to the boardroom, SOE members' achievement in attaining EngTech and IEng status is a tribute to their professionalism. We firmly believe that apprentices and technicians are crucial to the success of the engineering profession. By supporting this vital element within engineering, SOE is promoting a future that can rise to the many challenges we face as an industry."

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Since 2007, when it gained its licence to assess members for the EngTech award, the InstRE (Institution of Royal Engineers) has also registered a significant number of EngTechs and anticipates that it will more than double the number of registrants by the end of this year. At the same time, the institution is itself working towards becoming licensed by ECUK to award CEng and IEng, which it hopes to achieve next year.

Lt Col David Hamilton, Secretary of the InstRE attributes its high number of EngTech registrants to briefing programmes the institution has extended to units both at home, Afghanistan and in Iraq, during which the benefits of registration have been clearly welcomed. He said: "EngTech offers a qualification which is transferable between the army and civilian life, differentiating registrants as skilled professionals in the world of engineering and technology."

At CIPHE (The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering), where many members are self-employed, designatory letters are seen as extremely beneficial, particularly for enhancing professional recognition.

The upward trend in female EngTech registration also continues, with a steady increase showing over the past four years. In addition, for the second year in a row over 11% of new Chartered Engineers are women, a figure which has risen from 9.2% in 2004.

(GK/JM)