Training Skills Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

05/04/2012 Moving experience Although aimed primarily at commercial vehicle operators, engineers and technicians, the CV Show offers useful opportunities for those whose careers span the fixed and moving plant divide. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

06/02/2012 It’s all about engineering As Chancellor George Osborne ramps up the rhetoric on manufacturing, with his 'march of the makers' theme, while Prime Minister David Cameron and much of the coalition cabinet dance to a similar 'rebalancing the economy' tune, British ... » Read More

08/08/2011 Step up to the skills challenge With UK manufacturers continuing to report the welcome news of increasingly healthy order books and predicting further growth in production output for the months to come (according to latest figures from the CBI, the self-styled voice of ... » Read More

09/02/2011 Training for tomorrow When times get tough, tough cuts follow, with training and continuing professional development suffering, too. But will that wreak long-term irreparable damage? Brian Wall reports » Read More

09/02/2011 Get stuck in for the Big Society Engineers of all stripes might have been forgiven for raising an eyebrow at the close of last year, as the coalition government launched its nattily named Growth Review Framework for Advanced Manufacturing. » Read More

01/03/2010 Got what it takes? As engineers and training providers alike seek independent assessment of competence, SOE is seeking some additional assessors, interviewers and mentors. Brian Tinham explains » Read More

01/03/2010 CV Operator show There are good reasons for plant engineers to get to this year's CV Operator Show - particularly if your responsibilities include mobile equipment. Brian Tinham explains. » Read More

01/01/2010 Hone your skills Like a finely tuned instrument, investing in training and continuing professional development for plant engineers helps them to perform their roles with greater speed, accuracy and precision. Brian Wall provides some insights » Read More

01/04/2008 Up and away Bad news travels fast, as the saying goes - but not so with rules and regulations. Apparently, somewhere in the region of one third of small businesses in the UK have still not heard of the PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment ... » Read More

01/04/2008 Teach a man to fish The Leitch Review of Skills, published in December 2006, warned that the UK must raise its game on training and education, if it is to sustain, never mind improve, its position in the global economy. Whether that study will turn out to ... » Read More

01/03/2008 Raise your safety game During the 10 years that LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) and PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) have been in operation, they've played a significant role in providing safe working ... » Read More

01/02/2008 Prove your competence 'Within the next 18 to 24 months, industry will have to be much more proactive about proving the competence of its engineers and technicians at all levels. That's certainly the case in the rail sector. We're going to want to see external ... » Read More

01/12/2007 An Illustrious Career It takes a certain kind of person to be a marine engineering technician (ETME) in the Royal Navy - and a decidedly special engineer. Why? Quite simply, because they have to be 'can do' individuals able, practically at a moment's notice, to ... » Read More

01/06/2007 Fit for the future On 1 May 2007, following a request from the IPlantE council and confirmation by the SOE board, the formal branch structure of the IPlantE professional sector was formally withdrawn. » Read More

01/02/2007 Saluting those on the front line While London sleeps, there can be up to 5,000 people carrying out maintenance and renewal activities to ensure the Underground network is returned to safe service in the morning. » Read More

01/12/2006 Stepping into a brighter future Committing yourself to a long-term professional career is a major undertaking in itself. Sustaining and developing that career through a myriad of changes and challenges is quite another. Without the latter investment, such a career may do ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Professional Development - Registering the benefits When it comes to professional engineering registrations, the SOE is punching above its weight. In 2004 there were 189,406 Chartered Engineers (CEng), 42,905 Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and 12,554 Engineering Technicians (Eng Tech) ... » Read More