Engineers and politicians — how to mix

Engineers have long been viewed as “the invisible profession,” but now the national body representing the professional engineering associations in Canada is hoping to make their voices better heard in the corridors of power.
The Canadian Council of Professional Engineers believes that the sizeable number of engineers in Canada — 160,000 and counting — means they should have a much more powerful and influential voice with Canadian politicians and bureaucrats. The CCPE has therefore launched a new project to link engineers with their Members of Parliament.
The “Bridging Government and Engineers” policy was approved by CCPE’s Board of Directors in October 2005. Under the program, volunteeer delegates or “engineering champions” will be selected to represent engineers and will be trained to meet with local Members of Parliament to discuss important engineering issues that affect the health, safety and wellbeing of all Canadians.
“Canadian engineers are in a unique position to link policy with progress,” says a statement from CCPE.
Currently CCPE is working with the provincial engineering licensing associations to identify suitable candidates for the program. Candidates should be good communicators “and passionate” about the profession. They will undergo a brief training session.
www.ccpe.ca