The Institution aims, through its varied Learning and Development programme, to match members’ professional qualification ambitions with a range of stimulating accredited courses devised to challenge, extend and develop their engineering careers.
The Institution has partnered with the CMI to provide engineering leaders and managers the opportunity to transform their careers and achieve industry-leading qualifications. The CMI Level 5 Diploma is an internationally recognised qualification that has been tailored by the Institution to take into account an engineer’s chartered status.
The partnership also includes fast track programmes for professionally registered engineers to achieve qualifications leading to Chartered Manager status. Through this qualifications partnership, existing and aspiring managers can gain access to a wide range of learning resources and further career development options.
Following a number of years working as Chief Engineer for energy systems at the Williams Technology Centre in Qatar, Matthew recently returned to Williams’ UK base. A graduate of Bath University, he has worked in the automotive industry for 20 years, specialising in powertrain and hybrid systems.
Matthew completed the CMI Level 5 Diploma in management and leadership in 2013. He was looking for a recognised and credible qualification that would add to his Bachelor of Engineering and MSc, improve his team’s productivity and provide a pathway for future career development.
Matthew said: “The syllabus looked interesting and highly relevant at this stage in my career. I liked the fact that it is a recognised qualification and endorsed by the CMI so that I have the option to become a Chartered Manager in the future.”
He added: ”I began my career at Ford Motor Company in the research and development centre in Essex, before moving on to Rover Group’s engineering centre at Longbridge and Gaydon. More recently I worked at Tata Motors European Technical Centre in their advanced engineering department. In the future, I’d like to combine my technical skills in an entrepreneurial environment, which is why I like technology and commercialisation.”
The CMI Diploma complements Matthew’s current role, which involves strategic and tactical management responsibilities for research and development, engineering programmes and projects, organisational planning, performance management, budgeting and financial control. It was the right qualification for him, he says, partly because he was able to complete the diploma with minimum disruption to his work and less travel than he expected. As structure is modular, he was able spread his attendance over two cohorts (which reduced the pressure whilst living in Qatar).
He had a very positive experience, both of the course programme and the teaching: “The tutor was extremely knowledgeable and a great communicator. The course materials are good and serve as useful reference material outside of studies and the gap between workshops was sufficient, and necessary, in order to assimilate course material and conduct further research through reading and interviews with colleagues.”
He added: “The assignments really helped to bring all of the learning together. Since completing my studies, I have used the change management project to review and revise our departmental strategy, which is now fully implemented.”
In regards to his future career development plans, Matthew says that he is seeking to attain increased management and leadership responsibility with Williams Advanced Engineering, and work towards Chartered Manager status. However, he is keen, ahead of those ambitions, to become a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
If you would like to find out if the CMI Level 5 Diploma in management and leadership is right for you please contact the Learning and Development team by calling +44 (0)20 7304 6907 or email training@imeche.org
We can also provide you with more information about the full range of programmes and qualifications available with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.