IESL to enhance engineering profession, practice

The Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) will pursue the enactment of the Engineering Council Act and amendments to the Institution of Engineers Act shortly to enhance the engineering profession and practice.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 104th annual session at the Waters Edge on Thursday, IESL President Prof Ananda Jayawardena said that the Engineering Council Act is expected to regulate the practice of engineering only to be done by qualified persons to practise at different levels such as registered chartered engineers, associate engineers, incorporated engineers, engineering technologists and engineering technicians. The amendments of the IESL Act is simply to strengthen its own position.

He said that the international standing of the IESL will be raised in the near future by positioning the IESL amongst the reputed international professional bodies with similar activities and with comparable standing.

There are three key benchmarks set for this. Obtaining the full membership of the Engineers Mobility Forum was one which allowed the IESL awarded professional engineers to practise in most parts of the world at the highest level of the profession without any additional qualifications or experience which was achieved in 2007.

The second benchmark is to obtain the full membership of the Washington Accord. He said that the IESL has a big role to play pursuing its mission, to make the Institution the focal point for all practising and potential engineers for all disciplines to develop and harness their talents and professional values to achieve engineering excellence and leadership through capability building, setting and maintaining standards and to proactively influence the national policy making for sustainable and efficient management of resources.

Elaborating on the four goals to achieve this he said enhancing the image of engineering profession and professional practice, raising the international standing of the IESL, enhancing member services and membership drive by positioning the IESL as an important educational provider are essential.

He said that the first goal, “to enhance the image of the profession and professional practice” can only be achieved by providing the best services to the entire spectrum of customers including those who seek expertise and those engineers who seek to give their expertise. This include the Government’s highest authorities in one extreme mainly on policy matters, through the Ministries, provincial administration, industries (both public and private), Government departments and institutions, Universities and higher educational institutes, schools and specific solutions to individuals in general in the other extreme.

Prof Jayawardena said that engineers need to expand their services at the highest level of the Government on one hand and general public on the other hand as both factors are highly influential on the image. There are many opportunities at even middle level in extending knowledge and expertise in a coordinated manner through the IESL to those who seek expertise, especially in the private sector.

In the area of engineering practice, there are many opportunities the IESL can pursue.

RK