Readers letters
I see with amazement the idea of trying to change the title "Engineer", being derived from "engine", to "ingeneer", derived from "ingenuity". Surely it is clear that "engine" also derives from "ingenuity", so this is actually zero change, and a waste of effort worthy only of the Public Sector. On top of which, I would not want to use such a ridiculous looking word as "ingeneer", since engineers' spelling gets enough laughter, even if its close cousin "ingineer" can be shown to have some provenance. Precious words syndrome is always a problem, and unless we come up with a new or proven otherwise unused, non laughable word or phrase, the effort is not only pointless, but childish. Something on the lines of "Professionally Qualified Technician", perhaps. We are, after all, all technicians. Oh no, I said the evil word! Will I be struck down?
David Taylor is perfectly right in his letter - "get over it". David is also right in everything he says about the snobbery in engineering against the practical, which has of course been compounded by the farcical criminal progression to the point where it is possible- soon it will be near certain - that engineers gaining the coveted CEng title will not have so much as picked up a file, and are therefore not complete, certainly not properly prepared for many roles. This needs to be reversed, and all courses that don't include craft skills must lose their accreditation. Whatever the Engineering Council says, at least this Institute could stand up for proper standards.
There is also a lot of the recurring whining about status and respect. This is as it has always been, complete fantasy. It makes us sound like the teachers, who've been told for so long by the Trade unions they pay (amazing, isn't it?) that they are brilliant, overworked, under appreciated, down trodden and so on, ad nauseam, until they actually seem to believe it them selves. It is just not true! Engineers that deserve respect get respect and those who seek it without earning it do not deserve it. I get respect from those who find out I'm an engineer, including the business owner I respect who services my car when I'm too busy. I'm in demand from local schools and colleges to bring my skills in to help them.
Engineering is a rewarding, reasonably to well paid, respected profession, and it is time that erngineers - or those who call themselves engineers - stopped talking us down.
Mike West, Hilperton, Wiltshire
Next letter: Surplus of engineers