Press releases
BCS and IET Sign Agreement to Work Together for the Benefit of the IT Profession
29 January 2008
The British Computer Society (BCS), the leading membership body for IT professionals, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Europe’s largest professional society for the engineering and technology community.
The Understanding has been entered into with the intention of improving the service to members and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Institution and Society in pursuing their Charter objectives and clearly demonstrates a unity of approach to matters of mutual interest within the profession.
The MoU coincides with a growing awareness in the IT industry of the importance of professionalism and a demand for IT industry-specific formal standards. As part of the partnership, both organisations will work to cross promote their activities, including events, products and services.
A central element of the MoU is the joint development and promotion of Professional Status across the profession. Both organisations will now work towards a point in time where the IET will be able to confer Chartered IT Professional status (CITP) to eligible members in partnership with the BCS. This represents a significant decision by BCS to open out its chartered status for IT professionals to other awarding bodies.
Commenting on the agreement David Clarke, BCS chief executive said: “This is a major step for both organisations and demonstrates our commitment to professionalism for the IT Industry. The MoU will allow us to work more closely together for the benefit of our members and the profession as a whole.
“Our decision to make CITP much more widely available is a major step for the BCS; in fact, an unprecedented step for a chartered body. However, our trustees have taken this decision in the interests of the profession and see it as an important step towards achieving the aims of the BCS professionalism in IT initiative. IET is the ideal partner to help us to reach this goal.
“Globalisation means that today’s IT professional will be competing with similarly qualified people. Professional standards help workers get ahead of the competition, secure the top jobs, gain more responsibility and rewards. It also helps employers attract, retain and develop the best talent.”
As well as cross-promotion work, the MoU also supports the opportunities for the BCS and IET to work collaboratively in continuing their work generating and disseminating knowledge across the engineering, technology and ICT professional communities, conducting research into the concerns of those communities, issuing joint policy statements and working together on public engagement issues.
Robin McGill, Chief Executive of the IET added: “The signing of this MoU is an important development which will serve the ICT profession. Around a quarter of our 153,000 members work in ICT so we understand both the aspirations of individuals and businesses on this issue. As the global knowledge network for science, engineering and technology the IET believes greater co-operation with BCS will support the sharing and dissemination of knowledge across our professional communities.
“We are committed to promoting professionalism in the ICT community and collaborating with those organisations that share our vision. We welcome the steps BCS is taking to open up CITP status and look forward to working with the Society to develop and promote the CITP standard. We believe there are great benefits and opportunities for members of both organisations.”
Photo shows from left to right: Robin McGill IET chief executive, John Loughhead IET president, Rachel Burnett BCS president, David Clarke BCS chief executive.
Contact
Editors for further information or to obtain a hi-res image please contact either:
Lynda Feeley
PR Manager and Press Officer
The British Computer Society
Tel: 01793 417711
Email: Lynda.feeley@hq.bcs.org.uk
Website: www.bcs.org
Or
Tony Henderson
Head of Media Relations IET
Tel: + (0)20 7344 8403
Mob: + (0)7974 457565
Email: tonyhenderson@theiet.org
Notes to editors:
The British Computer Society (BCS)
The British Computer Society (BCS) is the Chartered industry body for IT professionals, the Chartered Engineering Institution for Information Technology and a Chartered Science Institution. With our rapidly growing membership, BCS is playing an increasingly pivotal role in leading the development and implementation of world class standards for the IT profession through innovative products, services and support.
Through our specific “Professionalism in IT” programme, BCS is leading and building IT professionalism to levels which are currently only seen in more traditional long standing professions such as law, medicine, and accountancy but which will increasingly become the de facto standards for IT professionals.
The IET
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community. The IET has more than 150,000 members in 127 countries and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The Institution provides a global knowledge network to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas and promotes the positive role of Science, Engineering and Technology in the world.
For further information visit www.theiet.org