Derry Ellis

Because proven experience should never go unrecognised.

With the backing of his engineering manager and IET Career Manager, Derry Ellis achieved EngTech on his first application, proving that the right support makes all the difference.

“As an integrated services company we do lots of civil, electrical and power work, and are keen to promote continuing professional development (CPD) in general. Derry, then working as an approved electrician, came to me saying he’d like to continue his studies in order to progress within the engineering profession, and so I wrote a business case and secured the funding. He passed with distinction and from there became the Responsible Engineer on numerous projects,” Brooks highlights.

It was then that Ellis began his journey towards Engineering Technician (EngTech) professional registration, seeing this as the next step in his CPD. Brooks was more than happy to support him with this, having followed a similar career path.

“Starting as an MIET, I worked towards EngTech, then Incorporated Engineer (IEng) right through to Fellowship. Therefore, it’s been a privilege for me to support him on this part of his career journey, acting as his ‘unofficial’ professional registration advisor (PRA).”

Building the case, one competency at a time

The two began by using the IET Career Manager tool to review Ellis’ career path to date, and look for examples to illustrate that he met the required competences. This included providing evidence of his understanding of technical standards and regulations, design development, public safety, environmental responsibility, management and leadership, as well as “the professional commitment he’s deployed in the field over many years at AmcoGiffen,” says Brooks.

For three months, they held weekly one-hour evening meetings to review Ellis' proposals, discuss findings and agree on goals for the following session. “I’d critique what he’d written for one competency, he'd take that away, refine it and by the following week we'd sign it off and move on to the next. That way, over the course of those three months, we built his application piece by piece,” Brooks says.

“I personally thought pursuing EngTech was going to be a drawn-out process that would take up a lot of my spare time, but I found it much easier than I first expected,” Ellis adds.

The benefits of IET Career Manager

IET Career Manager was used throughout, a tool Brooks thinks has transformed the application process.

“I didn’t have IET Career Manager when I was first applying for professional registration and I see the difference it makes – it’s so much easier and quicker now,” he points out. “You can go on and upload all your relevant documents, and it structures everything in a natural and logical way.”

Once Ellis’ application had significantly progressed, Brooks contacted a colleague at the IET to request his application was given a preliminary review by a PRA. Feedback was positive, and after making a few final changes, Ellis submitted his application via the IET Career Manager portal on August 15th 2025. After the IET’s multi-stage review, Ellis received official notification of his successful application and EngTech professional registration on October 31st.

“He’s done very well, being successful on his first application,” says Brooks. “We love to share the success of our engineers with the wider business and so put the news in our company magazine. His achievement was also shared as a success story at one of our regional ‘safety days’.

Validation from the people that matter

For Ellis, gaining EngTech registration was recognition of what he’d achieved professionally by his industry peers.

“I feel my standing in the company, and the wider engineering industry, has increased since completion,” he says. “Upon achieving professional registration, it only made me more confident in my approach to engineering.”

"If anything, it's only strengthened his drive to uphold and promote standards,” continues Brooks. “It's made him a more confident, decisive engineer. I believe EngTech is just the beginning for him. Working in a niche and highly specialised sector, he's building and renewing power networks that are critical to Britain's infrastructure and there's no reason why he can't progress to the highest level and become an IET Fellow in years to come.”

Partner with a PRA 

Ellis is now focused on gaining the further experience necessary to achieve IEng and work towards becoming an engineering manager himself. He recommends all engineers look into professional registration, and offers this piece of advice to those starting the process.

“Preparation and research prior to application are key. I would suggest setting time aside each week to work your way through your application, alongside a PRA, or at least someone who’s been through the process before.”

"My advice to any engineer pursuing professional registration is this: don't take the criteria away, read it once, and submit without regular input from your PRA. Follow their guidance –it's a journey and a partnership,” adds Brooks.

“You'd be surprised how many engineers meet their PRA at the start, then come back four months later having submitted without any further contact, wondering why they didn't meet the criteria. That's exactly what your PRA is there for.

“When I went through it myself, I met my PRA weekly for eight months. I did the homework, I put myself in their hands, and that's what you have to do. They will steer you, but you have to do the work.

“If someone has agreed to be your PRA, they're giving their time voluntarily and unpaid, often reading and critiquing your work in their own evenings. You owe it to them, and yourself, to reciprocate with the right level of commitment and effort. It's a partnership, and at the end of it, if you're successful, that reflects on your PRA just as much as it does on you.”

Why professional registration is good for business

It’s not just Ellis that’s benefitted from achieving EngTech, it’s also helped reinforce the standing of AmcoGiffen as an employer and engineering firm.

For example, when nominating engineers for projects, particularly on long-term frameworks, being able to put forward a team of registered members adds real provenance and gives clients increased confidence in the people delivering their projects.

“If you invest in your people, support their professional development and give them the platform to achieve it, you get it back fourfold. It's a win-win,” Brooks says. “What makes professional registration different from a traditional qualification is that you've actually deployed your knowledge. You're not someone who sat in a classroom, you've been out in industry, you've practised, and this is the verification and validation of that work.

“Any company that promotes and supports their employees through professional registration will only be stronger for it. At the end of the day, when you strengthen your people, you strengthen the company,” he concludes.