New Zealand Engineering 1999 March

Editorial

Renaissance

New Zealand has been pursuing a path of economic reform for fifteen years - largely, this has been financial and management reform. So where have engineers been while all of this has been going on? Some have been providing new technology. But most have been getting on with the job of keeping the mechanics of society running, or supplying engineering services as a commodity of business. A few have taken the opportunity to participate in the new processes of management.

Why is it that countries with successful economies train and employ a much higher proportion of engineers than we do in New Zealand? We hear that Ireland trains and employs four times the number of engineers that we do. Where do they put all these people?

I suspect that many are employed in the growth manufacturing industries where they develop business skills using an engineering degree and engineering training as a solid base for their careers. A recent survey of the top 100 British companies discovered that their CEOs were more likely to have an engineering qualification than any other qualification.

Congress 1999 has broken the tradition of previous engineering conferences by promoting a theme of involvement in the wider issues facing society. I am convinced that engineers have much to offer in the analysis and policy development that will lead to an increasingly successful future for our country - but only if they choose to become involved. So what actions do I envisage for IPENZ?

IPENZ provides two broad categories of services to its members. The first is to provide direct services to members - qualifications, publications, education. We do this reasonably well although there is much more we can do to improve the value of these services.

The second is to promote the profession to the public. This second purpose is the promotion of the relevance of the services of professional engineering in the formulation of future plans of our nation. Judging by the comments made by many members the significance of the second purpose has escaped their notice.

On employment, it is my opinion that as the current phase of management improvement achieves many of its goals then businesses will be forced to look very hard at their technological efficiency. Engineers must be honing their business and technical skills to maximise their potential. I believe IPENZ can do much to alert education institutions and students to the value of an engineering qualification, and develop measures on how well engineers are penetrating the policy formation and governance environment. As more businesses are forced to upgrade their awareness of the way technology affects their profitability so will they seek to employ staff with engineering qualifications, not only for design but also in sales, marketing, management and governance.

The future for engineers is indeed bright!