2000 Annual Report of the Board to the General Assembly
2000 just like 1999 was for EurEta another year of searching after the right way to proceed to become a strong organisation. The Board undertook a management review with a view to focusing more clearly on the Association’s priorities for the new millennium. The Board have formulated ideas on EurEta’s basic values, vision, success factors and goals, and hope that they will be able to work with all National Members, National Members in Development and Supporting Members to turn EurEta into flourishing and vibrant organisation. The Association’s Members are vital to its continuing success and the Board hope that effective contact between Members can be maintained and enhanced for the benefit of all, not least the individual technical professionals for whom EurEta was originally established.
Following the discussions at the 2000 General Assembly the Association is developing as a virtual organisation in ways consistent with its role as a provider of professional services in the evolving knowledge-based world. Functioning efficiently in the virtual world is one thing, but maintaining contact with people and organisations in the real world is also important. Among the organisations with which EurEta continues to be in touch and co-operate are the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI), the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE) and The Institute of Continuing Professional Development (ICPD).
Graham Guest, EurEta’s Secretary-General, met the new Secretary-General of FEANI, Philippe Wauters, in London shortly after he was appointed. Graham then attended, on behalf of the President, Martin Eppler, the meeting of the FEANI General Assembly in Hamburg in October. In Hamburg he also attended a meeting of the FEANI CPD (continuing professional development) Committee, where he was given the opportunity of describing the work of EurEta, including the Association’s approach to CPD. Graham was subsequently invited to become an observing member of the Committee.
Relations with the European Commission have been strengthened and EurEta now has contacts in three key Directorates General: the DG for Employment and Social Affairs, the DG for Education and Culture, and the DG for the Internal Market. Graham Guest met representatives from the first two DGs during his attendance in September at a conference in Brussels organised by the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS) and entitled The European liberal professionals and lifelong vocational training. At the conference Graham made a presentation on CPD, which was well received. He is also in close touch with officials in the DG for the Internal Market responsible for the regulated professions.
During 2000 the Board met in Baden in February and their thanks go to Martin Eppler for organising this meeting. Grateful thanks go to the German National Committee for making it possible to have the 2000 General Assembly and other business meetings at the TK-Bildungszentrum in Hayn in May, since, as in 1999, EurEta had no invitation from a National Member. Great thanks go to the Swedish National Committee for welcoming members of the Board and the Registration Committee to Lund in November. Those present in Hayn and Lund were also able to take part in enjoyable social events kindly organised by the respective National Committees.
Most contacts with National Members were kept by means of information technology. The meetings of the General Assembly, the Board and the Registration Committee open possibilities to have direct contacts with the national representatives of the country where the meetings take place. In addition to that, the President was invited to take part in a Seminar of our Finnish National Member, which took place between 9 and 11 December on the Ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm and back. Martin Eppler was given the chance to make a presentation to the participants of the Seminar on EurEta.
In October Graham Guest met in London two representatives of the Japan Federation of Construction Managing Engineers Associations, who were on a fact-finding trip relating to continuing professional development and professional bodies. The two visitors were interested to learn about the role of EurEta and its policy on CPD.
The World Federation of Technology Organizations (WFTO), which EurEta has supported since its inception, has not been active during the year, but Graham Guest is in touch with the WFTO Secretary-General, John Leech, about how the two bodies could work more closely together for the benefit of engineering technologists and technicians throughout the world.
At the end of 2000 there were officially still 11 National Members: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The status of Belgium, Hungary and Malta needs clarification, because they are at least for the present not able to meet their obligations toward the Association. In addition there were 2 National Members in Development: Austria and Cyprus, and 2 Supporting Members, both from the United Kingdom: EMTA - the National Training Organisation for Engineering Manufacture - and the Engineers’ & Managers’ Association (EMA). The General Assembly were very pleased to welcome both EMTA and the EMA as Supporting Members at their 2000 meeting and it is hoped that each National Member will endeavour to recruit more Supporting Members to strengthen EurEta further and broaden its network of like-minded organisations.
Looking at the number of Registrations one can see that the strength of the Association, at least for the time being, cannot come from the register. At the end of 2000 the Association had 1 230 paying registrants (versus 1 103 at the end of 1999). This adds up to a net growth of 116 registered engineers (versus 229 in 1999). Of the 1 219 registered professionals there are 28 (10) from Belgium, 10 (16) from Denmark, 162 (161) from Finland, 15 (15) from Hungary, 533 (441) from Italy, 22 (18) from Sweden, and 470 (448) from Switzerland, including 6 people registered with the new International Section, hosted by the Swiss National Committee. So far no-one has been admitted to the class of EurEta Candidate, largely because this has not yet been widely publicised.
The Registration Committee, under the Chairmanship of Lennart Alfredsson, continues to carry out its important work, including collating information on national formation systems and overseeing the work of the ad hoc Working Group established to look at the assessment of qualifications based on measuring outcomes and competence. The Registration Handbook is being revised and work continues on the development of Appendix C (Specific formations in the member countries acceptable for registration) and Appendix D (List of recognised schools) of the Registration Regulations. Much of the activity of the Registration Committee takes place by e-mail and Lennart Alfredsson is working with other members of the Committee, as well as with National Members, to make their processes as streamlined as possible. Following the establishment of the International Section of the Register, as agreed by the General Assembly in 2000, Lennart Alfredsson is also working with the Swiss National Committee, under whose aegis the Section is currently operating, to agree upon procedures and fees.
From the point of view of publicity, plans are in hand to enhance the EurEta website, which is a valuable promotional tool, particularly for a virtual organisation. Members continue to promote the Association in their own countries, through their websites and with the issuing of hard-copy leaflets and the publication of articles. In addition there are now three centrally produced leaflets: About EurEta, Supporting EurEta, and Continuing Professional Development.
At their 2000 meeting the General Assembly approved the appointment of Graham Guest as Secretary-General of the Association, a post he occupies on a part-time basis. At the Board meeting in November Martin Eppler formally announced his intention to resign as President after the 2001 General Assembly at the end of June. Whilst welcoming Graham Guest to his new post, the Board are sorry to be losing Martin Eppler as President and wish to put on record their grateful thanks to him for the key role he has played in helping to turn EurEta from an idea into a fully functioning professional body. He has combined the role of first-class administrator with that of valuable ambassador, and it his hoped that while resigning as President he will continue to help and support the Association.
The changes in staff, officers and organisational structure are part of the continuing process of development for EurEta. The setting up and running of a professional body in one country presents many challenges. Such challenges are multiplied when the body, like EurEta, operates in different countries. Everyone involved with the Association is giving at least some of his or her time freely and most people have other full-time occupations. Also working with EurEta involves, for most people, communicating in another language, continually learning new information and communication techniques, and trying to understand other countries’ engineering formation systems, which seem to be ever-changing. The Board therefore wish to express their warm thanks to all those involved with the Association and look forward to the further development and success of EurEta throughout 2001 and beyond.