Board Publications
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:-
- Assistance in the on-going re-organization of the Electrical Inspectorate
- Assistance on the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC)
- Collaboration with the INPPC
- 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
- Assistance to the NIHERST Committee on the recognition of Degrees (CORD) and
- 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:-
- The Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME)
- Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the European Union
- The Free Trade Area of the American (FTAA) and
- 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.