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Board Publications
ACTIVITIES OF THE BOARD -
2003
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The Board of Engineering of
Trinidad and Tobago is established by Act No. 34 of 1985 “to regulate the
practice of engineering in Trinidad and Tobago”.
The Fifth Board, which took office in December 2001comprises: -
Eng. Hollis Charles (Chairman)
Eng. Prof. Winston Mellowes
Eng. Imtiaz Hosein
Eng. Rossini Castro
Eng. Jerry Medford
Mrs. Margaret Edwards
Mr. Thornhill Carrington
Eng. Fenrick R. De Four (Registrar)
Mr. Thornhill Carrington joined the Board in September as the replacement
for Mr. Hewitt Nicholson who passed away in 2002. During the year the
profession also lost the following engineers - Nathaniel Lord, Elphinstone
Rollins, Suppramaniam Satcunanathan, Mervyn Sammy and Samuel West. The Board
extends deepest condolences to the families of those engineers.
Registration of Engineers
By the end of the year 2003, the number of registered engineers on roll
increased to 880. The number of active registered engineers on roll
increased to seven hundred and fifty-seven (757), an increase of 47 or 7%
over 2002. These engineers are properly accredited in accordance with the
highest international standards. To ensure these standards, the Act also
established two (2) Standing Committees of the Board. The Accreditation
Committee chaired by Eng. Prof. Winston Mellowes and the Assessment
Committee chaired by Eng. Jerry Medford.
Regional Reciprocal Registration
The movement to achieve regional reciprocal registration in the context of
the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) requires that the domestic
regulations of individual territories have to be adjusted to give effect to
that purpose.
Amendments to the Engineering Profession Act
This year the Board completed drafting proposals for amendments to Act No.
34 of 1985 to reflect changes in the profession both locally and abroad
including provision for regional reciprocal registration. The draft
[proposals were subject to in-depth discussions with other engineering
organizations and practitioners including the Association of Professional
Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT) and the Society of Petroleum
Engineers (SPE). Comments were solicited as well from the JCC, the TTIA and
the Board of Architecture. The final draft proposals were submitted to the
Ministry of Works at the end of April and explanatory follow-up discussions
were held with the Legal Advisor to the Ministry. Subsequent developments in
respect of the manpower needs of T&T in the energy sector have persuaded the
Board that certification of the sub-professional levels is a critical
necessity. The Board is therefore preparing proposals for further amendments
to the Engineering Professional Act aimed at bringing senior technicians
within the ambit of the Act.
Administration and Finance
The administration of the Board is managed by the Registrar, Eng. Fenrick De
Four, ably assisted by the office administrator, Mrs. Jameela Bynoe. The
Board once again places on record its thanks and appreciation of their
unstinting service.
The Accounts of the Board have been audited up to 2002. For 2003 the total
income from January to November was approximately $160,000.00, which
compares with figures for the same period in 2002. Extraordinary expenditure
for 2003 includes the payment of $14,500.00 being the balance of the down
payment on the module being purchased in the expanded
Professional Centre and provision of two student Bursaries of the Faculty of
Engineering, U.W.I. In 2004 provision has to be made for the balance of
$80,000.00 due on the completed module of the Professional Centre.
The Board has begun a programme to increase its computerization of its
administration. This programme will start with invoicing procedures.
The Professional Centre
The planned expansion of the Professional Centre at Fitzblackman Drive, Port
of Spain continued under the direction of the Centre’s Building Committee
which is chaired by the Board’s Registrar. The Board has made a further down
payment of $14,500.00 towards a module and the Board has been informed of a
price increase of TT $12,500.00 on the original estimate of $TT 85,000.00. A
contract for the construction has been awarded and occupation of the
expansion is now scheduled for late 2004.
Bursaries
Based on the response to its Bursary Fund Appeal, the Board decided to award
two (2) bursaries in 2003 to deserving students of the Faculty of
Engineering at University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. One of the
bursaries has been awarded to Mr. Clynz Harripaul and the other is being
advertised by the University. The contributors to the Bursary Fund are
listed on the Board’s website and the Board records its appreciation to
these donors on behalf if the recipients. The appeal for contributions
continues and members of the engineering community are urged to use this
simple means to make a lasting impact on your profession. Approximately 130
businesses engaged in engineering activities in T&T have been identified and
will be approached in 2004 as potential contributors to the Fund.
Codes and Standards
The Board collaborates closely with the Bureau of Standards and other
regulatory bodies on Codes and Standards. During the year, the Board
participated in the work of the following Committees; Drainage Code,
Electrical Code, Structures Code, Plumbing Code, Water/Wastewater Code,
Physical Planning Standards, Small Buildings Code, General Conditions of
Contract.
The work of registered engineers in the creation and updating of National
Codes and Standards is one of the main means whereby the Board achieves its
mandate to the public and the profession. Once again the Board records its
deepest appreciation of the work of the volunteers on these Committees who
unstintly produce such valuable results.
Professional Development and Conduct (CPD)
The Continuing Professional Development Programme (CPD) is organized jointly
with APETT under the chairmanship of Eng. Dr. Myron Chin. The programme is
developing its modus operandi slowly and in response to demand. In 2004, the
Board will be giving consideration to implementing the requirement of
professional development units (pdu’s) as a condition for renewal of
registration.
Discipline
One new complaint was lodged against a registered engineer during the year
and was investigated and resolved. All outstanding complaints were also
resolved. The Board records its thanks to the volunteer members of the
Disciplinary Committees for assisting in what at times can be onerous tasks.
Group Insurance for Registered Engineers
The Board together with the Maritime Financial Group have been able to put
in place three (3) specially designed group insurance packages available
only to registered engineers. The intention is to seek to obtain the
benefits of group membership for members on this and other areas. Feedback
from the Board’s membership will assist in that regard.
Promotional Activity
Website
During the year the Board continued to maintain its website at www.boett.org.
Codes and Standards which are put out for public comment are posted on the
website as well as information on Current Events and matters relating to the
registration of engineers. The website is also available for members to
publish their views or papers on matters of engineering or public interest.
Out-Reach Activities
The Board continued to take part in national activities related to the
engineering community. The Board is represented on the Joint Consultative
Council for the Construction Industry (JCC) by Eng. Jerry Medford. The
Board’s Registrar is a Founding and Permanent Member of the JCC. Eng. Imtiaz
Hosein represents the Board on the Cabinet Committee for a Full Employment
Strategy.
The Board also provides advice and assistance to kindred national
institutions as requested. In 2003, these occasions included:-
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Assistance in the on-going
re-organization of the Electrical Inspectorate
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Assistance on the Regulated
Industries Commission (RIC)
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Collaboration with the INPPC
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Assistance in collaboration with
the UWI Faculty of Engineering, MIC and TTIT, to the Engineering
Battalion of the Defence Force to determine the feasibility of
refurbishing the mechanical engineering workshop at Camp Cumuto
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Assistance to the NIHERST Committee
on the recognition of Degrees (CORD) and
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Participation in the NIHERST
programme on Icons in Science, Technology and Innovation.
As a member of the JCC the Board
has become involved in the plans to develop the Wallerfield Industrial and
Technology Park including the campus of the University of T&T.
In 2003, the Board continued its fruitful collaboration with other
professional bodies including APETT, SPE, CCEO, the T&T Group of
Professional Associations, et al and together with AEPTT, SPE, CCEO and the
Faculty of Engineering, UWI, participated in a function to honour President
Professor Maxwell Richards as the first engineer to attain the position of
President of the Republic of T&T. The Board also noted and extended
congratulations to Prof. George Maxwell Richards and to Eng. Prof. Kenneth
S. Julien who were recipients of the nation’s highest award, the Trinity
Cross. During the year, Eng. Prof. Winston Mellowes was elected President of
the Caribbean Academy of Sciences. The first engineer to be so elected. The
Board also co-sponsored the establishment of the T&T Sub-Section of the IEEE
Region 9. Eng. Alvin Lutchman has been elected Chairman of the Sub-Section.
The Board has maintained a watching brief and participated in the on-going
discussion in respect of proposals for a new undergraduate degree in
Engineering at UWI. The Board’s position in this discussion has been and
remains that the requirements for the registration of professional engineers
in T&T will be based on internationally accepted standards of training and
experience.
Sustainable Development Alliance
The Board agreed to take the lead in establishing a Sustainable Development
Alliance among professional groups in T&T to introduce the concepts of
sustainable development into all aspects of planning and implementation for
development. Activity for this area will be developed in 2004.
Trade in Services
Trinidad and Tobago together with the rest of the Caricom Countries are
engaged in negotiations on Trade including Trade in Services, in the context
of:-
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The Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME)
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Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the European Union
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The Free Trade Area of the American (FTAA) and
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The World Trade Organization
The results of those negotiations will impact irrevocably on the engineering
services industry and the profession. The Board continued in 2003 to follow
the progress of the various negotiations and participate in the activities
aimed at informing the government’s position in the negotiations. On behalf
of the JCC the Board’s Chairman participated as a member of the Advisory Committee on Trade Negotiations which is organized by the T&T
Manufacturers Association and the Advisory Committee on Services organized
by the International Trade Negotiations Unit of the T&T Chamber of Commerce.
The Board ‘s Chairman is also a member of the Caricom Working Group on
Negotiations for Trade in Services.
Looking Ahead
The priority continues to be to bring into legislation the amendments to the
Engineering Profession Act. The decision to bring senior technicians within
the legislation is an important one in the context of what has been
identified as a major gap in the technical human resource structure of the
Country.
Also in the context of expanding the trained human resource base, the Board
expects to significantly increase its bursary programme with the widening of
its appeal to include firms engaged in engineering activities.
The requirement of attaining a required number of pdu’s, as a condition for
renewal of registration will be considered by the Board during the coming
year. Equally the response to the foray into providing group insurance benefits to registered engineers
will be monitored to determine if this approach should be expanded into
other areas of interest to members. The increased computerization of
administrative procedures and the occupation of a module in the expanded
Professional Centre are also in the context of increasing benefits to
members.
The Board will keep on its agenda the goal of documenting and archiving the
major engineering works carried out in T&T. No corporate strategy today can
be contemplated without taking into account the impact of the ongoing
negotiations in Trade and Trade in Services. The Board will continue to
monitor and contribute to these activities.
The BOETT 2003 Award
The Board of Engineering of T&T 2003 Award is made to Eng. Prof. Kenneth S.
Julien for his long-standing dedication to excellence in the engineering
profession. His contributions both as a teacher and an implementer have been
recognized in many arenas and by his receipt of the nation’s highest award –
the Trinity Cross. The Board sincerely thanks Prof. Kenneth S. Julien for
his sterling contributions and hereby records its appreciation and
recognition.
CONCLUSION
The Board once again records its thanks for the volunteer contributions of
its membership during 2003. In the strength of this expanding network of
fellowship lies the hope of the profession and the nation’s future.
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