The value and importance of the role of the technician is being boosted by the introduction of a new professional register for Registered Environmental Technicians (REnvTech) which is being launched by the Society for the Environment (SocEnv).

This new professional register is being introduced in response to the Technicians Council’s call to raise the profile, status and numbers of technicians in the workforce following a critical report published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills in 2009. The report highlighted an alarming skills gap between the number of technicians presently working in the UK and the 450,000 required by 2020 to underpin a growing economy.

Alastair Taylor CEO of IAgrE said, “I believe many technicians working across the wider aspects of agricultural engineering from precision farming to waste management, forestry and soil conservation will be interested in this registration as it will help to validate the professional status of the role.

"As an Institution we have been successful in registering Engineering Technicians as EngTech and we hope we can develop the same level of commitment for REnvTech. It is absolutely vital that professionals are properly recognised and I really believe that eventually it will lead to end users asking the question as to whether the technician they are employing is properly qualified and therefore recognised.”

To create the register The Society for the Environment worked alongside the Engineering Council, the Science Council and other professional organisations to provide the framework for the training of technicians. Joining the register will help individuals achieve recognition for their environmentally-related skills and for employers to be certain that their staff understand the value of professional development.

“The race is now on to get the first REnvTech registration, so watch this space,” Alastair added.