Both Committee and Panel are made up of approximately equal numbers of academic and industrial members. Committee and Panel members review and assess the academic portfolio of candidates who do not meet the exemplifying academic requirements (i.e. accredited degrees) and make recommendations as to the appropriate level of registration, or for other activities which could be undertaken (e.g. experiential learning, further learning etc.) to enable the applicant to meet the benchmark.

Responsibilities

• To work in pairs with other AAC assessors to review the qualifications portfolio of applicants who do not have the accredited qualifications
• To determine which category of registration would be appropriate for the applicant based on their individual qualifications portfolio
• Encourage free and frank discussion of cases with all parties as required. Actively listening and posing questions to explore any areas of concern
• Provide constructive and respectful feedback to applicants, solely designed to help them with their application route
• Attend Committee meetings, drawing out any cases of particular challenge or learning for the wider committee group
• Share best practice

Opportunities

• Learn from experience and identify best practice in the sector
• Broaden professional horizons
• Develop interpersonal and soft skills
• Review a broad spectrum of engineering practice that you might not otherwise have the opportunity to see
• Contributes towards your own CPD requirements

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Benefits

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a fundamental part of any career in engineering, ensuring 'professionally registered and active' engineers keep up to date by constantly learning and improving, developing skills and staying abreast of innovation. This will enhance your contribution to engineering and help you get the most from your career.

Role Requirements

• You must be a professionally registered member of the Institution, at - or above - the registration category for which the applicant is seeking registration
• In an management or engineering role, familiar with:

• The IMechE Code of Conduct, Values and Behaviours.
• UK-SPEC and other policy documentation e.g. Registration Code of Practice (RCoP).

Commitment

• Attend a minimum of two, preferably more, committee meetings per year, along with associated preparation and follow-up work
• Committee meetings are held 4 times per year, with at least 2 conducted virtually and at least 1 face-to-face meeting at the Institution’s HQ
• Volunteers should also expect to receive at least one batch of up to 8 cases a month for Academic Review, with a two-week turnaround time for each batch.
• An expected term of 5 years’ service (refresher training must be completed should you wish to serve a further term)
• Complete training as deemed necessary
• Keep up to date with the latest Engineering Council and IMechE policies and procedures
• Committee or Panel members are required to sign a Data Protection Agreement.

Commitment to the Institution’s Values

• Upholding the Institution’s Values, Behaviours and Code of Conduct
• Acting with integrity
• Acting without vested interest and self-reporting any conflicts of interest or loyalty
• Supporting the Institution’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy
• Exercising independent judgement and challenging colleagues appropriately
• Opening-up volunteering opportunities to all eligible members
• Creating transparent and inclusive processes and procedures that treat staff and volunteers objectively and fairly
• Maintaining high levels of confidentiality where necessary and ensuring GDPR compliance is upheld

Initial Training

• Attend a formal training session conducted either virtually or at IMechE HQ.
• Observe a committee meeting with case discussion
• New panel members are paired with more experienced assessors initially
• Panel members initially handle the more straightforward assessments, developing skills on more complicated cases with time

The IMechE will cover all reasonable expenses incurred to attend a committee meeting in person.