GET ACCREDITED

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GET ACCREDITED
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Introduction

• IMechE Accreditation
• Role of the key players
• Structure of the scheme
• What to do next

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Accreditation1

• An internationally recognised achievement and is
  available to all organisations, whether they have
  one engineer or thousands located globally
• Most accredited companies run a four year
  Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS)

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Accreditation2

• A period of accreditation can last from 1-3 years
• At the end of a period of accreditation, you may
  apply for re-accreditation of your scheme
• Re-accreditation ensures that any changes are
  woven into the process and that competences
  remain current with industry and ECUK standards

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Accreditation3

• An example application form is available
• An accreditation visit is carried out by at least
  two IMechE panel members
• Complete an application form, available on our
  website
• www.imeche.org/profdev/mpds/getmpdsorganis

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Accreditation4

• The accreditation panel will spend a day at your
  organisation talking over your experiences of the
  training and examining evidence of competences
  met by your participating engineers
• The report from this assessment goes forward to
  the Professional Development and Standards
  Committee at their next quarterly meeting

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Accreditation5

• You will be informed of the success of your
  application for accreditation within two weeks of
  this meeting
• We also welcome joint applications, where an
  organisation wishes to become accredited with
  more than one professional institution

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Accreditation6

• IMechE accredited companies have a greater chance
  of attracting and retaining committed,
  professionally focussed graduates
• A list of all registered and accredited companies
  is available on our website
• www.imeche.org/profdev/mpds/linksaccredschm

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The 4 Key Players

• IMechE
• Scheme Champions
• Developing Engineers
• Mentors

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Role of the IMechE

• IMechE is the accrediting body that assesses
  company training schemes to the standards set by
  the Engineering Council UK-SPEC mechanical
  engineering competences
• Decisions on the length of accreditation awarded
  are made by the Professional Development and
  Standards Committee on the recommendation of an
  accreditation panel

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Role of the IMechE

• IMechE is the facilitator of the scheme
• Provides the initial guidance to set up a scheme
• Provides a structured reporting framework and
  online recording tools (e-MPDS)
• Provides a planned pathway to professional
  registration which is endorsed by the ECUK

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IMechE Fees

• IMechE make no charge for the accreditation of
  company training schemes
• There is no cost to the company for administrator
  access to the e-MPDS online records management
  system and no investment required in additional
  software
• The only cost incurred is the registration fee
  for each Developing Engineer
• - 120 for CEng - covers 4 years development
• - 90 for IEng covers 3 years development
• Company accreditation is excellent value for money

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MPDS Helpline

• Developing Engineers can contact the MPDS
• Telephone [phone]
• Email mpds_at_imeche.org

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Scheme Champions

• Your scheme requires the support of high level
  staff in your organisation, to ensure appropriate
  resources are available to developing engineers
• Scheme Champion is often a Member or Fellow of a
  professional engineering Institution
• Industry Liaison Officer (ILO), or
• Scheme Administrator

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Role of the Scheme Administrator

• All successful schemes have, at their helm, a
  good scheme administrator who works closely with
  the organisations engineering team
• The scheme administrator completes and submits
  the application form to IMechE
• Arranges for the relevant staff to be present at
  the accreditation visit

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Role of the Scheme Administrator

• Also liaises with IMechE MPDS staff for the
  registration of Developing Engineers onto MPDS
• Oversees the registration of Mentors
• Ensures consistency and accuracy of e-mpds data,
  by reporting any changes of key personnel to
  IMechE

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The Developing Engineer

• Your graduate employees will be keen and eager to
  extend their skills and experience in the
  workplace, to meet the competences required of
  the Engineering Councils UK-SPEC
• They will wish to progress towards Professional
  Registration and achieve IEng or CEng status
  after their Professional Review

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The Role of the Developing Engineer

• Must drive their own development forward
• Must maintain their membership of IMechE
• Must complete a registration form, signed by the
  mentor and Scheme Administrator and forward to
  IMechE with fees
• Timely submission of reports

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Mentors

• Ready and willing to impart their knowledge to
  the next generation
• Your mentors will be experienced engineers,
  registered as CEng or IEng with the Engineering
  Council

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Role of the Mentor

• Mentors need to be registered in the IMechE
  Mentor database
• Mentor registration forms can be found at
• www.imeche.org/profdev/mpds/getmpdsorgan
  is
• These should be forwarded to the MPDS team
• There is no charge for mentor registration

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Role of the Mentor

• A mentor need not be a member of IMechE
• They must be registered with the Engineering
  Council through a professional engineering
  Institution
• Once registered, a mentor creates their own
  username and password on IMechE website for
  access to the online e-MPDS records system

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Role of the Mentor

• Mentors are required to advise on and approve
  quarterly reports in a timely manner
• Mentors complete the annual assessment report
• Mentors are required to provide feedback comments
  on each report
• Mentors monitor their mentees development

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MPDS Reporting Structure

• The MPDS format consists of 4 COMPULSORY
  quarterly reports each year, submitted in a
  timely manner
• Followed by a COMPLUSORY annual assessment report
• It is these reports that form the basis of an
  application for CEng or IEng at Professional
  Review Interview

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e-MPDS Records

• After registration is processed, the Developing
  Engineer can access the online e-MPDS recording
  system via the IMechE website homepage
• e-MPDS enables the Developing Engineer to plan,
  record and report their experience and progress
  of competence
• e-MPDS is a records management tool, not a
  communications tool. Therefore face-to-face
  meetings are expected

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The Next Step

• When devising your training programme there is no
  need for you to plan significant change to what
  you already have in operation
• Identify additional opportunities to those
  already in existence and map these to the
  competence framework of UK-SPEC

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UK-SPEC

• As a committed organisation, you will already be
  providing your engineers with some scope to
  develop their skills, through various projects,
  placements and job roles
• Competence is gained via these experiences

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UK-SPEC

• The competence framework for CEng covers the
  following
• A Use a combination of general and specialist
  mechanical engineering knowledge and
  understanding to optimise the application of
  existing and emerging technology
• B Apply appropriate theoretical and practical
  methods to the analysis and solution of
  mechanical engineering problems
• C Provide technical and commercial leadership
• D Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills
• E Demonstrate a personal commitment to
• professional standards, recognising
• obligations to society, the profession and
• the environment

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UK-SPEC

• The competence framework for IEng covers the
  following
• A Use a combination of general and specialist
  mechanical engineering knowledge and
  understanding to apply existing and emerging
  technology
• B Apply appropriate theoretical and practical
  methods to design, develop, manufacture,
  construct, commission, operate, maintain,
  decommission and recycle mechanical engineering
  processes, systems, services and products
• C Provide technical and commercial management
• D Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills
• E Demonstrate a personal commitment to
• professional standards, recognising
• obligations to society, the profession and
• the environment

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IMechE Advisory Visits

• If you would like to discuss whether the
  technical benchmarks are likely to be met in the
  workplace, we will arrange for a Professional
  Development Advisor to visit your organisation
• This is an opportunity to go over your training
  plan together, to assess whether the UK-SPEC
  competences are being mapped over

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IMechE Advisory Visits

• There is no charge for advisory visits
• These are an informal session and provide the
  opportunity to discuss the accreditation process
  and forthcoming visit

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Questions?

• An example application form is available
  from
• Susan Wilding
• Professional Development Co-ordinator
• Tel [phone]
• Email s_wilding_at_imeche.org

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