I too have noticed the bias in the social media output, mainly Instagram and Facebook accounts.   We have a "Young Woman Engineer of the Year" award but no equivalent for young men or better, a general one for all.   I appreciate that woman are under represented in our profession for a variety of reasons, and I'm sure you could say the same for the number of male nurses!   I don't think you're promoting equality when you've got a biased agenda.


The recent relaunch of the IET with the pink equals sign really drove that message home.


In a couple of days my IET membership will expire and I'm not renewing.   The clearly obvious bias and spending excessive amounts of time on STEM for school children seems at odds with the general membership of the IET.   The members are being left behind for an agenda I'm not sure is within the remit of the IET.


The bigger problem for me is what am I getting out of my IET membership?   £ 170 renewal for a magazine who's quality has gone down over the years.   When I joined 30+ years ago we got a journal in the area of interest.   I attended local events.   I participated in the Young Members section helping organise a very successful technical visit to a local brewery (and the subsequent sampling of their products!).   But in the last decade what have I got from the IET?   A yearly and increasing bill!


They've even closed down my local IET venue, the Teacher Building in Glasgow.   I'd often walk past thinking if only it was a support centre for engineers; acting as a outreach centre from Savoy Place.  It never did anything more than be a conference venue.


Where's the member engagement?   It seems if you're in and about London you can attend many events in Savoy Place, but outside of this area you're stuck!   They don't want to know.   I've traveled and attended many industrial events and courses, but none by the IET.


For many years I've just told myself pay the membership and see how this year turns out with the IET.   This year I've agonised over this but I've decided: I'm not renewing.   If there comes a time when the IET changes direction, becomes the centre of excellence again for engineers, or that I need to be a member for some reason, I'll rejoin.   But I've already talked with the IEEE and they say I'm not alone.   There are increasing numbers disillusioned with the IET looking to join the IEEE instead.


 

Hi Lisa,


I have been in touch with them.


This isn't a decision that I've taken lightly.   You don't be a member for 30+ years and make a rash decision!   This is how I've felt for years, that the IET is not providing value to its members.


If you look at the events section of your site for my area you'll see it's fairly empty.   The only event listed is a dinner.   No other form of technical engagement listed.   Maybe there's been a problem with getting news out to members as to what is happening in my area (searching my emails I see nothing from the IET for events), but even when I look there's not much to see!


 

I'm trying to be careful with what I have said about the bias that's coming from the IET.   The output that we are seeing from them is skewed.   My point here is that you can not challenge inequality by inequality!   If we give out a prize for Young Woman Engineer of the Year we have to, absolutely must, also give out a prize for young Man Engineer.   I would much prefer complete equality but your statements on race and colour isn't one I've ever recognised within the IET.


But we also have a focus on what seems like STEM events for school children.   Which gives me the impression that the IET is focusing on teachers rather than engineers.   If there is a problem with the lack of STEM participation then it must be endemic within the curriculum of the schools.   You are not going to solve this by having a one day Lego build competition!   It's not enough.


On a wider scale, it seems that youngsters are becoming consumers rather than creators!   When was the last time you seen someone with a set of pram wheels nailing them with flattened bean cans to a bogie?   The problem is bigger than the IET can solve.   As a nation we seem to have given up on creating new technologies.   We don't seem to have the youths sitting in front of their computers writing software, but instead posting to social media instead.   We don't have a hobby electronics industry as we had before, and the closure of Maplin was a very sad day (although they seem to have diverted from their kit origins too).   This is why we've got a shortage of new engineers.


Alas, for me, it's a question really of what do I get out of the IET.   Yes, I'm being selfish, as is my right.   I don't mind part of my fees going to help the next generation but what else do I get?

Thank you for your reply and support on having equality.


I should clarify my point about STEM teaching.   I think this is clearly the job of schools to prepare children correctly and a major failing of the curriculum.   The IET turning up for an afternoon once at a random school isn't going to make any significant impact.   If the IET is to have a role in this then it has to be in ensuring that the right STEM classes are taught within schools.   That the curriculum is designed to prepare school children for an engineering or science future.   Firstly to encourage them to make the selections to the right subjects, then through to getting the right grades for university.


Generally, however, we have a bigger problem in that children seem to increasingly becoming consumers rather than creators.   Games machines don't allow for users to program them!   We're not getting the next generator sitting down in front of a computer and writing software.   Nor with the demise of the likes of Maplin are they building electronic kits.   That is a stage we're missing from their education - problem solving.


It's something that I think the Raspberry Pi has done a lot more to aid than the IET.   If anything the IET should be ensuring that government supplies every school child with one and a kit of electronics to play with!