As we mark Chartered Week 2025, we’re excited to share an inspiring story from Jo Parker MBE CEng FIWater, Vice President Engineering at the Institute of Water.

Jo reflects on her journey to becoming a Chartered Engineer, from facing early doubts and industry barriers to breaking new ground in the water sector.

In the 1970s, engineering was still seen by many as a male-dominated profession, and she was told outright that some companies wouldn’t employ women engineers. But she didn’t let that stop her. From designing and overseeing major water projects to paving the way for future generations, Jo’s career is a testament to resilience, passion, and breaking down barriers.

Jo’s story is a reminder that Chartership isn’t just about recognition—it’s about perseverance, credibility, and shaping the future of our industry.

“I shall always remember the day I heard that I had passed my professional review and was a chartered engineer. It was just before Christmas, and I knew that the decisions would have been made and posted in the Institution of Civil Engineers. A friend had promised to check the list and would phone me if I was on it. No phone call. I drove to my boyfriend’s house with a heavy heart. He was already a chartered civil engineer so knew how much it meant to me. I braced myself to phone my parents. My father answered the phone and the first thing he said was ‘Congratulations.’ I don’t think I’ve passed’ I said glumly. Then my father told me the great news – he’d gone to the Institution’s headquarters that day and seen my name on the list. I was a Chartered Engineer. It was the best Christmas Present I could have.    

It was the culmination of a journey which started in my teens when I thought about architecture but wasn’t sure it would use my aptitude for mathematics sufficiently. When I learned about civil engineering I decided there and then that was what I’d like to do. I asked a local civil engineering company if I could have a holiday job with them. They offered me a job in their new data processing department for the summer, but said they would not employ me if I became qualified – they didn’t employ women engineers!

My maths teacher, who had qualified as an electrical engineer was sceptical that I’d get a place at university, but I proved her wrong. She was also sceptical that I’d get a job afterwards, but I was offered several jobs and chose one in the design office of Thames Water in Oxford – the first woman engineer to work for Thames Water Authority which had only be formed the year before.  There I was given a design project to work on – a tertiary treatment plant for Abingdon Sewage Treatment Plant. I then went out on site to supervise the construction of my design – a very steep learning curve and a culture shock for the contractor as well as myself but so exciting to see my designs take shape. I submitted the design and contract documents for my professional review.

The review itself was rather daunting – sitting in the ICE building waiting for my name to be called, then winding my way past a hall full of interviewees and their interviewers separated by screens to meet my two assessors. This was followed by a written exam in the afternoon.

Although the journey to Chartership was not always straightforward for me, and in the 1970s there were many who thought that engineering was no career for a woman and were happy to tell me that. However, I stuck to my goal of becoming a Chartered Engineer. Since that time, I have always been proud of my achievement and loved my work as an engineer in the water industry.”

The International Water Association (IWA) is a global organisation, and here in the UK, they offer opportunities for the wider water community.

The IWA UK Committee, a sub-committee of the Institute of Water, serves the interests of UK IWA members.

With an upcoming restructuring, they are excited to announce a new opportunity for all UK IWA members to apply for a position on the committee.

Why Join?

  • Advance professionally with national and international exposure.
  • Build your network within the water sector.
  • Develop valuable new skills along the way.

How to Apply:
Submit a one-page biography outlining:

  • The group you represent (e.g., water company, NGO, academia, supply chain, etc.).
  • The skills and expertise you bring to the Committee and the Institute of Water.
  • Confirmation (if applicable) that your employer supports your full and active participation in IWA UK activities.

Successful applicants must become members of both IWater and IWA, and agree to maintain membership throughout their term (typically three years). Deadline: Submit applications by 6th January to Committee Member Fionn Boyle at Fionn.Boyle@Jacobs.com

For more information on becoming a member of the committee, please click HERE to view the Terms of Reference.

Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE President of the Royal Academy of Engineering welcomes today’s publication of the ‘Net Zero Review: UK could do more to reap economic benefits of green growth’ report by former Energy Minister Chris Skidmore.

Sir Jim says: “I welcome the publication of the Mission Zero review, with 129 recommendations that bring together many of the key enablers of a faster and better transition. Crucially, this report echoes calls from the engineering profession and beyond about the need for joined up decision making processes for policies and infrastructure, driven by a net zero delivery body at the heart of government and enabled by public engagement and empowering local communities to plan and act. We also strongly welcome the emphasis placed on overlooked but crucial and value-unlocking issues of materials and circular economy, energy efficiency, building regulations, planning, nature, and place-based approaches.”

“With less than 30 years to meet the government’s own target for decarbonising the economy, it is imperative that policymakers can confidently take rapid actions alongside more complex and longer-term decisions. The UK’s ability to decarbonise at sufficient speed and scale, and to attract the necessary investment to deliver the transition, is dependent on key decisions made by government now.”

“Crucially, this review properly emphasises the many benefits of pursuing a path to net zero and the risks of not doing so. Transitioning to net zero is in fact an opportunity to capture benefits for everyone through the creation of new markets, industries, innovation and skills development.  This review is correct to place importance on delivering a supportive environment for mission-led R&D and demonstration projects so that the UK can become a hub of late-stage R&D investment and unleash net zero innovation.”

“Mission Zero sets a challenge to government, engineers and all of society to begin in earnest the delivery and implementation of the net zero vision. The engineering profession is eager to supercharge and co-ordinate the net zero projects, operations and innovations that are ongoing to accelerate progress and prosperity at a crucial time.”

Salary – £35,000 – £37,000 DOE

UK Travel (potential)

The Engineering Council is the UK regulatory body for the engineering profession. We hold the national registers of over 229,000 Engineering Technicians (EngTech), Incorporated Engineers (IEng), Chartered Engineers (CEng) and Information and Communications Technology Technicians (ICTTech).

In addition, the Engineering Council sets and maintains the internationally recognised standards of professional competence and ethics that govern the award and retention of these titles. This ensures that employers, government, and wider society – both in the UK and overseas – can have confidence in the knowledge, experience and commitment of professionally registered engineers and technicians.

We are currently seeking an experienced Senior Licensing Executive to play a key role in ensuring a consistent and transparent approach is provided to the licensing of institutions.

Key Tasks include:

  • Plan and deliver reviews and approvals in accordance with our Key and Core documents
  • Monitor and report on continued PEI licence compliance
  • Contribute to organisational competence for key stakeholders including the planning and delivery of seminars, workshops, and training sessions
  • Attend and contribute to key EngC committees
  • Participate in joint Licensing activities with external bodies
  • Contribute to the delivery of the QAC secretariat
  • Monitor and develop Registration Agreements
  • Review and maintain Key and Core Licensing documents and other documentation
  • Conduct staff liaison and establish/build relationships with Licenced Members and Professional Affiliates
  • Support and, when required, deputise for the Licensing Manager
  • Participate in other activities where directed (including certification to external standards)
  • Support the organisation’s commitment to quality management and compliance with ISO certification requirements.
  • Support the organisation’s compliance with GDPR.

 

Person Specification: 

  • Ability to communicate at all levels (written and oral), including capturing complex discussions on paper and producing readable, factual reports. (Essential)
  • Ability to work to and evaluate processes and improve them to obtain the required outcomes. (Essential)
  • Able to work flexibility and effectively with others, to develop, influence and maintain relationships with key stakeholders. (Essential)
  • Demonstrable negotiation and influencing skills. (Essential)
  • Ability to identify and manage potentially contentious situations. (Essential)
  • Understanding and appreciation of customer/stakeholder needs and relationship management. (Essential)
  • Demonstrate tact, diplomacy and recognise the need for confidentiality when required. (Essential)
  • Demonstrable IT competence, particularly MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint) (Essential)
  • Experience of SharePoint (Desirable) Experience
  • Knowledge and experience of quality assurance and continuous improvement. (Essential)
  • Knowledge and understanding of UK engineering profession. (Desirable)
  • Experience of working for a membership organisation or similar professional body. (Desirable) Experience of working with committees. (Desirable)
  • Experience of managing volunteers in a formal setting (Desirable)

 

Key Behavioural Competencies

  • Work on own initiative and as part of team.
  • Manage time and resources effectively and efficiently, prioritising where necessary to meet deadlines, and with minimal supervision.
  • Develop, influence, and maintain effective relationships internally and externally
  • Ability to negotiate and influence where appropriate
  • Commitment to continual improvement – proactive in seeking to improve processes.

 

Qualifications

  • Graduate or equivalent (Desirable)
  • Relevant professional membership or qualification (Desirable)

Please contact the HR Department of The Engineering Council should you require the Job Description.

The Engineering Council is a small organisation, and we pride ourselves on our communication, support, and loyalty to our employees.

In return for your commitment, we guarantee your training and development within the role and offer an attractive salary, pension, life, and healthcare insurance.

The Engineering Council is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and equality.  We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse team of employees.  In recruiting, we welcome the unique contributions that an individual can bring in terms of their education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

As part of our recruitment process, The Engineering Council collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. The Engineering Council is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations. All applications will be deleted or destroyed one month after the recruitment process has ended. Should you wish further clarification, please obtain a copy of our Job Applicant Privacy Notice.

If you do not receive communication from us, please assume that you have not been successful with your application on this occasion.

 

Today marks the end of water saving week 2022.  According to the UN “water is the primary medium through which we will feel the effects of climate change.” This is why during this year’s water saving week we talked about the various ways in which water will impact our future. From the connection between water usage and energy bills, to food and health we are highlighted the link between water and multiple areas of our daily lives to show just how important saving water is. Take action today to work towards a safe future for yourself and the planet.

This Year’s Themes:

Monday – Water and Energy

Tuesday – Water and Social Justice

Wednesday – Water and Food Security

Thursday – Water and Health

Friday – Water and the Natural Environment

For further information please click here.

At CCW, we have a clear vision of the outcomes we want to see from the 2024 price review, and what we want to achieve in our work representing everyone who uses water, now and in the future.

Our vision is that PR24 delivers a water sector that listens to people and delivers exceptional, sustainable services that are accessible to all. We have six objectives that will help us achieve our vision, and I’m pleased to share these with you today.

We’ve tested these objectives with customers to make sure we’re doing the best job possible at representing their views in what is a crucial price review, not just for topical issues like affordability and environmental protection, but in the opportunities it brings to fully align this industry’s culture with the people we serve.

Our objectives for PR24 are published in customer-friendly language to help people understand what a price review means to them, and how CCW is committed to representing them throughout the process. We’ve also produced a helpful explainer video to support this, which you can view here – do feel free to share with your own network.

Read our PR24 Objectives here.

MOSL has today published the Strategic Panel’s Draft Priority Market Outcomes and Areas of Work for consultation.

The recently established Strategic Panel’s role is to promote, challenge and lead the operation and evolution of the market for the benefit of current and future non-household customers. The draft paper transposes the strategic direction set by Ofwat and Defra into prioritised outcomes and programmes of work. The Strategic Panel will work closely with customer organisations, MOSL, trading parties, Ofwat and Defra.

The Strategic Panel believes fundamental change to the non-household water market is needed.

The overarching priority is a market that delivers sustainable economic growth in its widest sense, creating social, economic, and environmental value for customers, market participants, society, and the environment. To achieve this, the Strategic Panel has identified three market outcomes that will drive the focus of key priority areas of work:

  • Value creation
  • Customer service excellence
  • Water efficiency is core.

To deliver on these outcomes, five priority areas of work have been identified:

  • Get the money right
  • Get the basics right
  • Water efficiency
  • Get the incentives right
  • Innovation.

Underneath each sits a detailed programme of work stretching across three years, aligned to MOSL’s three-year rolling business plan. The Strategic Panel recognises that market improvement projects are already underway, and is therefore only recommending reviews in some areas.

Trisha McAuley, Chair of the Strategic Panel, said: “The Strategic Panel has very carefully considered the challenges and the opportunities in the market and with a clear focus on customer outcomes through creating the right conditions for a flourishing competitive market.”

“We believe that the scale of change which is required is significant which is why it’s really important that we hear from, and listen to, market stakeholders now and on an ongoing basis.  This consultation is the start of that dialogue and I urge all stakeholders to let us know what you think and tell us what your priorities are and why. And let us know if you disagree – and why.”

The draft Strategic Panel Priority Market Outcomes document can be accessed here. The appendices can be found here. The consultation period for stakeholder feedback will end on 24 June 2022. Responses to the consultation questions below are requested by email to panel.secretariat@mosl.co.uk.

As part of its commitment to engage openly with the market to ensure that a range of stakeholder views are able to inform its priorities, the Strategic Panel has also published its plan of how it intends to engage with the market in 2022/23 and going forward. As part of this a series of roundtable events will be held in June/July to inform the priorities. The engagement plan can be accessed here.

If you have any questions on the document or consultation please email panel.secretariat@mosl.co.uk.

The Karen Burt Award nominations are now open. This award is presented annually to a newly-chartered woman of a high calibre in engineering, applied science or IT, who has demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of her profession. The chosen candidate must have been awarded chartered status within 16 months after 1 March 2021 and can only be nominated once. For more information see attached.

Once you have selected your nomination please direct them to submit their application via the WES Zealous Awards Portal at https://www.zealous.co/wes1919/opportunity/Karen-Burt-Memorial-Award/  where they will need to create an account and complete the submission process.

This should be done as soon as a selection has been made, and with sufficient time to enable the candidate to meet the deadline of 30 June 2022. The Institution should inform the Women’s Engineering Society of their chosen candidate as soon as possible, so that WES can liaise directly with the candidate to ensure that the nomination is made on time.

The candidate must submit a headshot and may also submit up to three photographs or drawings and up to two hyperlinks to support her application. The application form requires detailed responses to the following questions, which she may wish to prepare in advance.

  • Please outline a project which contributed to your Chartership, your role in the project, and the reasons why you have chosen this project as part of your submission (800 words)
  • Please state ways in which you have been active in promoting women in engineering (500 words)
  • Please outline your professional plans and aspirations for your future (200 words)
  • Please provide a third-person biography for use on the WES website to accompany your nomination (150 words)
  • Additional information for consideration by the judging panel (200 words)

 

Three finalists will be notified by 8 August 2022 and will be invited to attend an Awards Ceremony at the WES Annual Dinner on the 22 September 2022. The winner will be invited to give a presentation of her chartership work at the Caroline Haslett Lecture in December 2022.

To download an application form click here. We look forward to receiving your nomination.

The Science Council’s CPD Awards are back for 2022 to continue the celebration of outstanding CPD.

The CPD Awards are designed to celebrate outstanding professional development in science, showcasing examples of good practice and continuous improvement. They celebrate the professional development efforts and achievements of registrants across the four Science Council registers: Registered Science Technician (RSciTech), Registered Scientist (RSci), Chartered Scientist (CSci) and Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach).

CPD Awards Ceremony

This year the award ceremony will be back in person as part of the Science Council’s Celebration of Science event on Monday 21 November 2022 18:30-21:00, in London. The award ceremony will take place alongside the 2022 Roberts Lecture. (https://sciencecouncil.org/policy-public-affairs/the-roberts-lectures/)

The Gareth Roberts Lecture is held every two years in honour of the organisation’s founding president. A high-profile speaker (to be announced soon) will deliver a thought-provoking presentation on an issue that impacts scientists and their application of science.

Recognise your outstanding skills

If you hold a Science Council professional registration award, recognise your own outstanding work and skill set and nominate yourself for an award!

For guidance on how to apply see the Science Council’s website. (https://sciencecouncil.org/web/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/For-Entrants-CPD-Awards-Guidance-Booklet-2022.pdf)

Nominations are open from Wednesday 25th May until Sunday 17th July.

Apply here. (https://sciencecounciluk3.smapply.io/prog/science_council_cpd_awards_/)

Read about the 2021 CPD Awards winners and commendations on the Science Council website. (https://sciencecouncil.org/registrants/cpd-awards-2021-top-tips/)

It is no coincidence that when it comes to filling permanent vacancies, UK employers have consistently voted engineering and technical in the top three most challenging functions.

The Eastern Area of the Institute of Water want to change that perception, get people to proudly embrace the engineering in their work and start that discussion on what it means to be an engineer.

We want to hear your experience of what it is like to be an engineer, in any format, including but not limited to a video, a photo or a series of photos or a poster. What is your day like in the life of an engineer?

The intended audience is of your choice so it can be for primary school ages, young water professionals, peers etc. Just make sure you include your intended audience in your application.

Can I Enter?
•            Submit an entry showing us what a day in the life of an engineer looks like for you
•            Am I an Engineer? Engineering is the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures. If you consider yourself an engineer (whether that’s as a technician, an apprentice or in any branch of science), then that is good enough for us!
•            You do not have to be based in the Eastern Area
•            You do have to be a member of the Institute of Water
•            Submission deadline 5pm 13/06/22

How to apply
Send your name, job title, intended audience and an attachment of your entry in your desired format to Grace Wilson at GWilson3@anglianwater.co.uk.

The winner of this competition will obtain the coveted 2022 Water Engineering Award and a complementary ticket to the WCE Awards Celebratory Dinner including meal and drinks on 14th July 2022 at the beautiful Guildhall in London (travel costs / accommodation to be covered by winner).

The winner will be announced at the YWP Pint of Water event on 16th July 2022 as well as being contacted by email. Winning entries will be displayed on social media. Please note, to enter this competition you are allowing the Institute of Water to publish your material on social media.

This event is sponsored by Worshipful Company of Engineers, a modern livery company of senior, leading engineers from industry and academia representing the full diversity of today’s engineering; a fellowship which aims to enhance the future engineering wellbeing of the nation.