IET Council - Candidate's Statement
Channel: Ian Phillips
Date: 25/01/2021

Hello ... I am Ian Phillips ... Standing for Re-election to [IET] Council

In the 21 century, we have become increasingly dependent on Electronic System Technologies in every aspect of our lives. These Intelligent Systems are everywhere around us ... giving us Sophisticated Communications, enhancing our Memories, Entertaining and Defending us, Transporting us, Providing the logistics and tools that Feed us, and the Power to keep us warm. They also provide the infrastructure that underpins our Financial system and the Economy. 

But most ordinary citizens are only aware of these systems when they go wrong ... and not aware of their Practitioners at all.

So society needs its Engineers and Technicians to be more Professional today than it ever has ... Yet today a person needs little more than claimed experience to practice in the Research, Development, Manufacture, Installation, or Maintenance of these systems ... Less regulation than for many high-street jobs! And the predicted Engineering skills shortages will just make this situation worse!!

So, my mission is to bring our Invisible Profession into the public eye; Regulating Professionalism as we do so ... And I believe the best way to achieve this is through the IET Council. 

In [IET] Council I have already made proposals to this end, and many have already been adopted by the Board of Trustees. But there is more work to do to fully implement and cement this ... and that cannot be completed in what remains of my tenure. So I am asking for your vote to allow me to continue this important work for a second term.  

Thank you for listening ... And thank you for voting for me.