Electrical and Electronic Engineering

In general, electrical engineers deal with power generation and power supply, while electronic engineering is about the way electricity is used to control equipment. However, the very close association of the Institute of Electrical Engineers with the British Computer Society suggests that the line between electrical and electronic engineering is thin and hazy.

Modern manufacturing techniques tend to make replacement of a faulty component more cost-effective for the consumer than mending it in situ. Much of the traditional role of the maintenance engineer has therefore changed, particularly in the electronics field, with removal and re-installation of faulty chips and boards the norm.

Electrical and electronic engineering includes such area as informatics, control, electronics and communications, power management, manufacturing and science, and engineering and technology. Its associated industries span aerospace, construction, media and communications, medical technologies, railways and road transport.

More specific information on some aspects of electronic engineering can be found in the articles on computing and IT, and telecommunications on the Quest website at www.questonline.co.uk .

Electrical and electronic engineering in the Services

All three Services have electronic engineering specialists, working on sophisticated and complex instruments, vehicles, engines (including nuclear reactors) and other equipment. Qualifications range from master’s degrees, through Modern Apprenticeships, National Certificates and Diplomas to NVQ Level 2, with institute membership at the appropriate grade being available to most professional engineers.

Electrical engineering is somewhat different. In general, Service electricians work on equipment that moves rather than static installations, although Royal Engineers electricians work across the whole spectrum of power supply from generation to distribution in difficult and dangerous environments. The Royal Navy has an installed capacity of five megawatts on its smaller ships and 14 megawatts in the bigger classes of vessel so Naval engineers are very familiar with electrical generation and distribution within ships.

Qualifications

It is necessary to have qualifications to work in any branch of engineering. The academic ones include degrees, diplomas and certificates, while vocational qualifications include Vocational A-levels, General National Vocational Qualifications, Modern Apprenticeships, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

Engineering Council UK

The Engineering Council UK is the profession’s lead body and registers all engineers who have met standards of education, training and professional competence at one of 35 engineering institutions. The Register has three sections:

• Chartered Engineer (CEng)
• Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
• Engineering Technician (EngTech).

There are ongoing discussions about an amalgamation between the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE), with the latter recently being allowed to have CEng members, to form a new Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) (120,000 members)

Affiliate membership is open to anyone who would value and benefit from membership of IEE, and is ideal for anyone wishing to gain full access to the IEE professional networks. There are no minimum educational or workplace requirements.

A Student member should be in appropriate higher education and intend to become a Member.

Member is the main category of membership and is open to all who can demonstrate by their education and experience that they are professionally engaged in one of the fields within the scope of the Institute. Most will be graduates in an IEE-related discipline, but some individuals will be able to demonstrate that they have gained the professional profile through years of experience and practice, and commitment to professional development.

A Fellow is a member who has also carried out five years’ ‘significant individual responsibility, sustained achievement and exceptional professionalism’.

Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) (40,000 members)

An Associate Member will be a student on an appropriate course of study, or have a good standard of general education but not the formal academic qualifications needed for full membership, or someone who wishes to be a member and has not completed an assessed application form, or someone awaiting final membership assessment.

A Member will holdan appropriate qualification to be registered as an EngTech, IEng or CEng (full or interim) with the Engineering Council, or be able to demonstrate professional competence, or educated to an acceptable level and working in an engineering industry.

Fellows have been IEng or CEng registered for at least three years, and have been a professional engineer for at least ten years, at least five of which have been at a senior level.

Other qualifications

Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance (SEMTA) is the Sector Skills Council for this area. It has developed a series of engineering National Occupational Standards, as well as ones in other disciplines. For electrical and electronic servicing, these are at Levels 2 and 3, and lead to vocational qualifications and apprenticeships.

The Electrical Contracting Industry’s Joint Industry Board regulates relations between employers and employees. including productivity, skills levels and wages. It also runs the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), under which people are issued with cards that show their overall level of competence, specialisations and qualifications. Occupations include:

• electrical fitter
• electrical winder
• instruments mechanic
• radio/TV electrician
• maintenance electrician
• installation electrician
• household appliances electrician
• telecommunications fitter
• distribution networks electrician
• office machines mechanic
• auto electrician
• marine electrician
• wireman/panel builder
• building controls engineer
• electrical labourer.

Grades at which cards are issued are:

• managerial/supervisory
• skilled
• ancillary operative
• electrical improver
• apprentice
• adult trainee
• labourer.

For electrical engineering, the basic requirement is 16th Edition Wiring Regulations. This shows that the individual knows the necessary regulations and how to use them, and it is virtually impossible to start in the industry without it. The course and exam can be taken in a one-week course at the Resettlement Training Centre and leads to the award of the Level 3 CGLI 2381 qualification. (Prior attendance on the two-week Domestic Electrical Installation course and a good electrical knowledge is recommended.)

The next step is the Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations Level 3 CGLI 2391 qualification, obtained through a one-week RTC course. Service leavers can also attend the three-day RTC Level 3 Inspection and Testing (PAT) of Electrical Equipment CGLI 2377-01 and 2377-02.

The Electrical Contractors Association aims to:

• promote quality and safety through

– qualification of companies

– training, qualification and reward of individuals

– attracting and retaining quality employees

• promote standards for electrical installations
• encourage new technologies and installation practices
• influence the market.

Its craft training management agency is JTL, which selects and places thousands of young people every year to start gaining qualifications (apprenticeships and Level 3 NVQs) through employment in the industry.

Employment

The most highly qualified people (degrees and above) generally plan and manage electrical and electronic engineering projects, with the next level of expertise supervising their implementation, and the least skilled people actually doing the work. Experience leads to bigger and better jobs, while academic and vocational qualifications make it possible for the individual to develop and move up the career ladder.

In the electrical engineering industry, projects are contracted and then sub-contracted to many different entities. Most people start as an electrician’s mate or work for a contractor for a minimum of two years to gain experience. Once they have worked for a while on a number of projects, and obtained a good reputation and the necessary qualifications, they can set up on their own. All contractors must inspect and test their own work. They may also inspect and test other electrical work for landlords, insurance companies and major builders.

Salaries

Adult trainees over 21 will probably start on about £17,000, with improvers on around £19,000 and approved electricians on about £24,000. They will also receive shift pay and overtime. EngTechs might expect to earn around £28,000, while IEngs could start on £20,000, rising to £35,000 as they gain experience, and up to £50,000 for senior people. CEngs are the most qualified people, starting at about £25,000, and with an upper limit that depends entirely on the type of work done, the contract terms, the seniority of the individual, and the company. The industry average is £50,000.

Contact details

Engineering Council UK, 10 Maltravers Street, London WC2R 3ER Tel: 020 7240 7891 Fax: 020 7379 5586 Website: www.engc.org.uk

Institution of Electrical Engineers, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL Phone: 020 7240 1871 Fax: 020 7240 7735 Website: www.iee.org.uk

Institution of Incorporated Engineers, Savoy Hill House, Savoy Hill, London WC2R 0BS Phone: 020 7836 3357 Fax: 020 7497 9006 Website: www.iie.org.uk

Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance, 14 Upton Road, Watford, Herts WD18 0JT Tel: 01923 238441 Fax: 01923 256086 Website: www.semta.org.uk

Joint Industry Board, Kingswood House, 47/51 Sidcup Hill, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6HP Tel: 020 8302 0031 Fax: 020 8309 1103 Website: www.jib.org.uk

JTL Head Office, Stafford House, 120/122 High Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0JS Tel: 0800 085 2308 01689 884100 Fax: 01689 891658 Website: www.jtlimited.co.uk