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 Institute of Water (IWater) is proud to participate in Chartered Week 2025, the first in an ongoing annual national awareness week dedicated to celebrating and promoting the role of professional registration and its impact on society today.

This year’s theme, “Celebrating Trusted Professionals,” highlights the dedication, expertise, and integrity of those who achieve chartered status and other professional accreditations—key qualities that our family of UK water professionals embody.

About Professional Registration

Professional registration is a recognition of knowledge, experience, and professionalism, demonstrating an individual’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing their skills through continuing professional development (CPD).

IWater’s approach to Professional Registration is unique and supportive, reflecting our role as seeking to better equip our members to do their day jobs, advocate for the sector and improve the environment and lives of their communities.

As the only professional body licensed to offer nine grades of professional registration across Engineering, Environment, and Science we provide tailored support to help individuals achieve and maintain their status.

Why Chartership Matters

Achieving chartered status is a mark of excellence, demonstrating an individual’s commitment to continuous learning, ethical practice, and leadership within their field. It strengthens trust within the industry and ensures that professionals are equipped to tackle the challenges facing the water sector today and in the future.

Get Involved

To mark Chartered Week 2025, the Institute of Water will be:

• Sharing insights from our Chartered Members about their journeys and achievements
• Highlighting the history and evolution of our professional registration offering in the water sector
• Providing guidance and resources to help members take the next step in their careers

Water professionals at all stages of their careers are encouraged to get involved by following the conversation on social media using #CharteredWeek and exploring our online resources.

For more information on professional registration and how to start your journey, visit: https://instituteofwater.org.uk/professional-registration/

The Institute of Water is delighted to invite people to join the One Day Engineering Conference, held on the 2^nd April 2019.

Titled: ‘Back to the Future – building on our engineering heritage to shape the future of the water industry’, the Conference will be hosted by Institute of Water Vice President Engineering Jo Parker and will feature parallel themes of innovation and building on the water industry’s great engineering past.

The Conference will present case studies looking at challenges and innovative engineering solutions.

There will also be a panel discussion on how we can recruit the best technical people to respond to future challenges faced by the water industry plus an examination of the supply and demand for engineers in general and looking at some ways in which young people can be attracted to engineering. Delegates will contribute to round table discussions, reviewing engineering skills needed for the water industry referring to the past, present and future.

 Institute of Water Vice President Engineering and Director at Watersheds Associates, Jo Parker, said:

“Our current water infrastructure is still heavily reliant on what the Victorians built for us. Whilst this has certainly stood the test of time, we have reached a point where we must look again at how engineering innovations can help deliver our water in the future.  

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to host this conference at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. The museum proudly displays many engineering marvels from throughout the ages and highlights how we must continue to look at the past to engineer our future.”

The One Day Engineering Conference is part of the Institute of Water membership benefit. Every six months the Institute of Water holds a specialist one-day conference, rotating the disciplines of Engineering, Environment and Science. These are free for members to attend and is an excellent CPD opportunity. Non-members can also attend at a competitive rate.

The Royal Academy of Engineering called on engineering organisations to increase their use of data to measure and improve diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the profession at a ‘Data Driven Culture Change’ event yesterday.  Attendees also debated the state of D&I in engineering organisations.

The benefits of a data driven approach for both large and small companies were demonstrated by presentations from multinational IBM and Customem, a start-up focusing on capturing hazardous chemicals from water. Gary Kildare, Chief HR Officer of IBM Corporation Europe, highlighted the potential of data and artificial intelligence s to help improve and extend the diversity of workforces. Customem’s CEO and co-founder Henrik Hagemann outlined his philosophy of building a small team with specialist skills whilst consciously looking for maximum diversity.

At the event, attendees from across the engineering profession discussed the initial findings from a survey conducted in the summer of 2018 to shed light on the state of D&I in engineering employment – the full report will be published next year.

The survey found differences in the perceptions, actions and experiences of engineering employers of different sizes in relation to D&I, and that smaller organisations typically face challenges that limit their capacity to promote D&I. The Academy plans to address this by working with start-ups and SME leaders from the Academy’s Enterprise Hub to develop guidance specific to smaller organisations.

Many engineering employers, especially smaller organisations, thought it unlikely that increasing D&I in their business would reduce or eliminate skills shortages, but they did identify other benefits including improving company image or reputation; improving compliance with legislation; and increasing collaboration.

Previous research, “Creating cultures where all engineers thrive” found that inclusion benefits the performance of individual engineers, with 80% reporting increased motivation, 68% increased performance and 52% increased commitment to their organisations.

The Academy launched guidance at the event to give leaders, managers and people managers across engineering the tools to use existing and new data as a powerful lever for change.

John McCollum, Engineering Director a BAE Systems and member of the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Group Steering Group, said:

“Measurement of diversity and inclusion is crucial to effect change across the engineering profession. The profession needs to become better at measuring diversity and inclusion to target interventions and actions, and make meaningful progress.”

Measures for D&I in engineering were developed by the engineering companies working with the Academy to provide a framework to drive change across organisations, from large corporations to SMEs, and irrespective of whether they are beginning their D&I journey or progressing towards maturity or beyond. The measures are validated by the Employers Network of Equality and Inclusion (ENEI) and tested with both large corporate and SME organisations to confirm relevance and proportionality.

The  ‘D&I in engineering measurement framework’ can be downloaded here: https://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/diversity-in-engineering/business-benefits-key-facts/diversity-group-analysis

[1] https://www.raeng.org.uk/news/news-releases/2017/november/creating-cultures-where-all-engineers-thrive-can-t