Information Matters - February 2008

1. IET Discover
2. Volunteers' Conference Weekend
3. BCS and IET Sign Agreement to Work Together
4. Local Network web site migration
5. The IET's Scholarships and Awards
6. New Endorsed Training Providers
7. Catalyst

IET Discover is the dedicated social bookmarking service for engineers from the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

This innovative online platform, available at www.theiet.org/discover, enables users to search and discover from a highly qualified bank of engineering and technology knowledge.

IET Discover provides a forum for the user to share their links with the rest of the engineering community. It also allows researchers to call upon a global pool of their peers and industry experts bookmarks, groups and personal homepages.

IET Discover lets you:

• Search across everybody's engineering bookmarks.
• Find and join groups that match your interests.
• Use your own "My Discover" personal space to store your favourite bookmarks, groups and people.
• Keep track of your favourite groups, and contribute bookmarks to help build these valuable resources.
• Keep track of colleagues and share in their discoveries. See what industry experts have added to their lists, and keep up-to-date with their latest reports and presentations.

You can save your links to IET Discover through two different routes one is via the www.theiet.org/discover website or by using the IET Discover toolbar. The IET Discover toolbar is a plug in that enables you to search and access IET Discovers premium engineering content wherever you are on the web.

Planning is now well advanced for this flagship member event, scheduled for the weekend of 26/27 April 2008.

More than 300 member volunteers are expected to attend, representing all areas of IET activity. These include the Local Networks, Technical and Professional Networks, Mentoring Coordinators, International Professional Registration Advisors, Publishing Advisors, Policy Advisors and Sector Panels. Chief Executive and Secretary, Robin McGill and IET President, John Loughhead will be keynote speakers. There will be many interactive sessions throughout the weekend where member volunteers can share ideas and experiences and learn from each other. Social networking will play a big part, with the Conference Dinner on the Saturday evening, which includes recognition of member successes through the presentation of the IET Network Awards.

Formal invitations are scheduled to go out on 15 February 2008, with a website link for registration.

The British Computer Society (BCS), the leading membership body for IT professionals, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Europe's largest professional society for the engineering and technology community.

The Understanding has been entered into with the intention of improving the service to members and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Institution and Society in pursuing their Charter objectives and clearly demonstrates a unity of approach to matters of mutual interest within the profession.

For the full article, please visit the IET's Media Centre at www.theiet.org/about/media-centre/press-releases/20070129_2.cfm

The migration of the Local Network web sites continues with over 65 sites currently live in the new IET web template.

Well done to all the Local Network Web Master's that have completed their training so far - just to mention a few names, as of 1 February 2008, these include:

Mike Ross, Clive Maude, David Ferguson, Mike Thomas, Gordon Dixon, Tony Brown, Adam Bailey, Sundar Thovalai, David Ellis and Paul Hulbert.

There are still a number of Local Networks that have yet to contact us with a named 'webbie' - if you are responsible for managing your current Local Networks web pages and have not been in touch regarding your training, please email Suzanne Brown as soon as possible at volunteer@theiet.org

Ambition Awards

If you know of someone who could benefit from financial support whilst at university - why not encourage them to apply for an IET Undergraduate or Postgraduate scholarship?

Each year the IET awards 120 Undergraduate scholarships (of up to £3,000 per annum) to students in need of financial support who are studying (or considering embarking) on any IET accredited degree course. A limited number of prestigious scholarships are also available to particularly outstanding students in recognition of their achievements so far. Deadline: 30 June 2008.

Seventeen Postgraduate scholarships (worth up to £10,000 each) are awarded each year to IET members who are undertaking (or considering undertaking) research or postgraduate study in the UK, New Zealand or any country outside of their home country. Deadline: 20 April 2008.

Achievement Awards

Does one of your colleagues or a member of your team deserve recognition for their outstanding personal achievements or contribution to industry? (This could be a senior member of your organisation who has made a major contribution or an exceptional graduate or trainee).

Such awards not only reward personal achievement, but also help to bring the achievements of those working within the engineering and technology sectors to the attention of the public, identifying outstanding role models and thereby helping to attract young people into these key professions.

For more information on what's available for 2008, please visit www.theiet.org/about/scholarships-awards/index.cfm

The following organisations have recently been recognised by the Institution for the quality of their training provision for professional development, and have achieved endorsement.

PERA
Quality Auditing Systems and Quality Improvement Tools, People Development and Human Resources Training, Lean Manufacturing, and Improving Business Performance Courses.

Renewed Endorsements

The following organisations have recently been recognised by the Institution for the quality of their training provision for professional development for a new three year Endorsement period.

ERA Technology
MC, Software, UKAS, Plant & Power, Design and Safety, Environmental, Engineering Project Management, and Military Avionic Standard Courses.

CPD Centre, Dept for Continuing Education, University of Oxford
Electronics & Telecoms Programme.

For details of all Endorsed Training Providers: www.theiet.org/pdproviders

Catalyst gives an overview of some of the work the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) has been doing to promote engineering and technology.

View the latest issue at www.etechb.co.uk/newsletter/catalyst_36.cfm

The February 2008 issue of Information Matters is also available in Word and PDF formats.

• Word Version [68KB]
• PDF Version [37KB]

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