To make it easier to remember, we’ve created the acronym TWAVES which stands for:
- Training courses
- Work experience
- Academic study
- Volunteering
- Events and seminars
- Self-study.
We encourage members to use reliable CPD resources, however, CPD activities do not need to be approved or accredited and don’t have to be provided by the IET (but you are, of course, encouraged to make the most of your membership).
T
Training courses
Examples of activities that fall into the category of training courses:
- Soft skills courses
- Technical courses
- E-learning/distance courses
- In-company training courses
- Courses leading to qualifications, e.g. PRINCE2
- Preparing materials for training courses
- Delivering training courses.
What do we provide when it comes to training courses?
Technical courses
We offer a range of highly technical courses on industry-specific topics, tailored for engineers at all levels. These include Electrical Safety Management, High Voltage Engineering and Testing and Saftey Critical Systems. Members enjoy discounted rates of up to 20%.
Lifeskills workshops, free webinars and e-classes
Our Local Networks (LNs) run invaluable lifeskills workshops, which are free to attend and usually held in the evenings. Subjects include project management, presentation skills, negotiation and many others.
We also run free webinars and e-classes (with discounts for members) that can be accessed globally. They run for approximately one hour and include subjects such as Starting out in Coaching, Dealing with conflict, and Communicating for success.
Professional Registration courses
We offer open courses (with discounts for members) or in-company training including Preparing for Professional Registration and Mentor training.
Technical webinars
We work with technical and industry experts to provide free insightful content on a variety of engineering disciplines which can be accessed from around the world. Join in, watch on demand or find out about upcoming webinars.
W
Work experience
Examples of activities that fall into the category of work experience:
- Learning by doing the job and developing experience
- Talking to suppliers, customers or specialists and working with
- them to determine their technical requirements
- Receiving coaching from others
- Secondments and job rotation
- Job shadowing
- Apprenticeships
- Promotion to a new role
- Coaching/training others
- Supervising/managing/leading others
- Presentations to external clients, colleagues, etc.
- Preparing and presenting reports
- Managing projects, budgets, teams, etc.
What support do we provide (indirectly) when it comes to work experience?
Early Career hub
If you’re in the early stages of your career, our early career hub includes lots of information to help you achieve your goals, including a whole section on work experience and how to get the most out of it.
E+T Jobs
Our specialised jobs search engine enables you to look for jobs that match your requirements. Get yourself noticed by the industry’s top employers and recruitment agencies by uploading your CV.
Apprenticeships
IET Approved Apprenticeship schemes have been assessed to provide a really valuable range of UK-SPEC and ICTTech standard experience.
Careers information
Our Education website has been developed to introduce a new generation to the sheer excitement of science, technology and engineering. The careers section is full of useful information about the routes to a range of engineering careers, the materials can be ordered free of charge or downloaded from the website.
A
Academic study
Examples of studies that fall into the category of academic study:
- Master’s degree (e.g. MEng, MSc)
- PhD/Doctorate
- Bachelor’s degree (e.g. BEng, BSc)
- Degree apprenticeship
- Foundation Degree (e.g. FD)
- HND
- HNC
- City & Guilds
- NVQ
- ONC
- OND
What support do we provide (indirectly) when it comes to academic study?
Academic Accreditation
IET Accreditation is an internationally respected benchmark awarded to high-quality programmes that provide ideal preparation for aspiring professional engineers.
Academic Partnership
Academic Partnership provides a formal platform for engagement, ensuring universities and students get the maximum benefit from the IET.
V
Volunteering
Examples of activities that fall into the category of volunteering:
- Professional body volunteering roles e.g. mentoring, local network roles, professional registration interviewer, committee roles, etc.
- Other volunteer roles that support the development of soft skills/financial/leadership skills e.g. scout/guide leader/school governor, charity work, local organisations, etc.
- Speaking at an event
- Membership of a technical expert group.
What opportunities do we provide when it comes to volunteering?
Get involved
There are a whole range of volunteering opportunities, from being a mentor or qualification assessor to organising meetings and events or helping author new publications. Volunteering will give you great personal satisfaction whilst being an enjoyable and rewarding experience which enhances both your professional and personal development. Find out which role interests you and how to get involved.
E
Events and seminars
Examples of activities that fall into the category of events and seminars:
- Conferences
- Networking events
- Technical visits
- Exhibitions
- Seminars
- Lectures
- Organising meetings or events
- Speaking at an event
- Lecturing or teaching.
What do we provide when it comes to events and seminars?
Events
As an organisation, we provide over 1,200 leading technical conferences, seminars and lectures each year. These are held all over the world and cover all aspects of engineering and technology.
Whether it’s a small event run by our local or technical communities or a global conference, there’s something for everyone.
Members enjoy discounted rates of up to 20%.
S
Self-study
Examples of activities that fall into the category of self-study:
- Reading books, journals and articles
- Research through internet searches and digital information sources
- Online technical communities & discussion forums
- Authoring.
What do we provide when it comes to self-study?
Books
Members are entitled to a 35% discount on books published by the IET (Note: discount applied to one copy per title).
Digital Library
The IET Digital Library is a global repository of science, engineering and technology-focused content produced by the world’s leading international scientific organisation and thought leader – the IET. Online access to the IET Digital Library unlocks an unsurpassed body of work of more than 174,000 technical papers and around 8,676 eBook chapters from 1994 onwards for all IET journals, magazines, conference publications and seminar digests.
IET EngX
IET EngX is our online social collaboration platform which enables individuals to connect and share knowledge, ideas and opportunities with a network of individuals. It enables our volunteers, members and non-members to engage with like-minded people and collaborate on projects and activities for the benefit of the global science, engineering and technology community.
E+T Magazine
Engineering and Technology is one of our most valued membership benefits, keeping engineers at the leading edge of their discipline.
Factfiles
Providing unbiased information for members, teachers, students and the general public (free of charge).
IET.tv
Watch live or archived events, research seminars or presentations (all videos are available free of charge to members) featuring industry experts via the Internet.
Codes and Guides, including the IET Wiring Regulations
IET Codes and Guidance publishes a range of standards, Codes of Practice and guidance materials for professional engineers, using its expertise to achieve consensus on best practice in emerging and established technology fields.
The IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) is the national standard to which all electrical installations in the UK should conform. The electrical site provides key information about BS 7671 as well as free Wiring Matters articles for technical insight and information on developments in the industry.
Inspec
Renowned for the quality of its indexing, Inspec is the leading bibliographic database for physics, engineering and technology research, containing over 17 million abstracts. Members of the IET can access this essential online research tool at highly discounted fees.
Journals
The IET Journals span all areas of engineering and technology – covering the disciplines of electrical, electronics, computing, control, biomedical and communications technologies. Our current journal titles are now fully gold Open Access, allowing researchers and practitioners around the world immediate and free access to current IET Journals content. The latest content from the IET Journals is accessible through a publishing partnership with Wiley on the IET Research hub page.
Library and Archives
Members can access a wealth of searchable information - in print and online - from our outstanding specialist engineering-related collections.
Government policy
Read about our work in providing independent, evidence-based policy advice to the Government and other agencies. Members can contribute to submissions to Government consultations and express an interest in joining one of our expert panels covering a broad range of topics including communications, education and skills, energy, innovation and emerging technologies, manufacturing and transport.
Professional values and ethics
The trust you derive from being seen as a professional engineer is one of the many advantages of being a member of the IET, but it also means you have certain ethical responsibilities. We can help you to understand the demands of professional ethical standards in your own life with dedicated guidance and resources.