IChemE Matters – May 2025

Strengthening ties

Mark apsey, IChemE president

ONE OF the best parts of this role is the opportunity to connect with passionate people across the profession, and this past month has been a great example of that.

We hosted a bilateral meeting in London with Engineers Ireland. Their director general Damien Owens and president Laura Burke joined me and Yvonne Baker for a productive discussion, where we agreed to collaborate more closely to promote engineering skills, run joint events, and share successful initiatives. We showcased our DiscoverChemEng campaign, the impact of IChemE’s Young Engineers Awards for Innovation and Sustainability (YEAIS), and the positive response to our digital volunteer badges.

Damien, in return, shared some brilliant ideas from their side – including a formal conferring ceremony for Chartered and Fellow members, which struck a chord with us. And yes – he had us all smiling describing their involvement showcasing engineering at the National Ploughing Championships in Ireland. Only in engineering could tractors, space exploration, and CPD make perfect sense in the same conversation.

Collaboration continued with a roundtable hosted jointly with IMechE focused on the urgent need to reskill the UK’s engineering workforce. With 80% of the 2035 workforce already in jobs today, this isn’t a future problem – it’s a right-now one. It was energising to see organisations coming together to tackle this head-on. A summary of the discussion will be available soon.

Our visibility with UK government is also growing. You can read Duncan Lugton’s update in this month’s Policy Corner column about our letters to 650 MPs – making sure chemical engineering’s voice is heard loud and clear (p20).

Nominations for IChemE volunteer vacancies have now closed – thank you to all who stepped forward. You’ll be able to vote on candidates shortly (p26).

All in all, it’s been a month of meaningful collaboration and steady progress – building influence, sharing what works, and strengthening chemical engineering’s place at the table.

I always welcome any feedback, and value any input or ideas – you can contact me at president@icheme.org

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Bookmarking our efforts

Duncan Lugton, head of policy and impact

This spring, the Policy and Impact team has been working to raise our profile with MPs in Westminster. That’s why, several weeks ago, 650 letters were dropping into the pigeonhole of each MP in Westminster, introducing the Institution of Chemical Engineers and explaining why our work is important.

In an increasingly digital age, this might seem like an unusual approach – and that’s partly the point. While MPs receive a deluge of digital correspondence every day, a physical letter stands out from the crowd and has that little bit more of a chance to make an impact. Particularly if, as in our case, it happened to be bundled together with an eye-catching bookmark spelling out the value of chemical engineering.

We’ve been telling MPs what chemical engineering is and about the value it has for the UK, providing the backbone of modern industry, powering the UK economy and shaping our daily lives. Given recent events, we have stressed that given the backdrop of global uncertainty – both on the economic and defence fronts – the contribution of chemical engineers is more vital than ever.

This mailout is part of a wider push to get onto the radar of MPs and to try and secure some meetings. We followed it up with an email and further targeted communications and have seen some positive results: some have responded with warm words, some have asked us questions about chemical engineering in their area, some have asked for a briefing pack setting out what chemical engineering is, and a few have asked for a meeting. Encouragingly, we’ve been hearing back from a real mix of MPs – from a variety of parties and parts of the country, not just from areas with more of an industrial tradition. We hope that we can nurture this contact into several positive relationships with MPs, giving IChemE – and chemical and process engineering – a greater voice in parliament.

For more on our work: www.icheme.org/policy

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Join us at DiscoverChemEngLIVE

Victoria Speed, IChemE’s schools and college engagement officer

November 2024 saw us host a unique event at IChemE’s Rugby office: a STEM event that showcased chemical and process engineering to more than 300 schoolchildren and their teachers. Now we need your help to do it again and inspire hundreds more.

On 13 November, IChemE will host DiscoverChemEngLIVE in Rugby to coincide with Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and the Young People’s Engagement team are keen to hear from you and your organisation if you’d like to be involved. Feedback from last year’s attendees was incredibly positive. One teacher told us: “The event hosted by IChemE was brilliant. Students were talking about it and how they got a real insight into careers that involved chemical engineering. There were such a range of activities to engage all types of learners. We really enjoyed the event as staff as well.”

Volunteers who supported last year’s event represented a range of career stages and put on engineering challenges and hosted stands. Dima Alshawabkeh, a third-year chemical engineering student at Aston University, said: “I really wanted to explain to students what chemical engineering is. I’m trying to explain to them how fun it is.” Peter Swanson, chair of IChemE’s Chester and North Wales member group, added: “What I’ve found when I’m going around schools is that chemical process engineering is very much a hidden branch of engineering. Unless they’ve got parents, or relatives, or friends that actually work in the industries, then they don’t know what it is.”

If you’re keen to support the event, please email discoverchemeng@icheme.org

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Inspire the next generation through I’m an Engineer

Georgia Lambert from I’m an Engineer

Chemical engineer Jarrod used to find it difficult to fit outreach into his schedule. Since 2023, though, he and nine other IChemE members have connected with almost 1,500 students from schools across the UK, through I’m an Engineer.

I’m an Engineer is an online, student-led STEM engagement project, supported by IChemE. School students explore diverse engineers’ profiles, connect with them in text-based live chats, ask follow-up questions, and vote for the winner of a £500 prize to be spent on further public engagement.

Jarrod told us: “When talking to young people you not only have to get to the point quickly, you have to make things interesting. I keep asking myself ‘why should they care’ – and start every answer from there.”

The activity helps young people see engineering as personally relevant to their lives, but it’s not just students who benefit. The platform is a low-pressure environment for engineers to “dip their toes” into schools engagement. Those taking part improve their communication skills, while also finding the experience enjoyable and fulfilling.

The I’m an Engineer team handles the logistics so participants can focus on inspiring students without needing to plan events or travel to schools. Engineers can take part when it suits them from anywhere with an internet connection. The flexible, text-based format makes it easy to join from the office, on-site, or even from a phone during your commute.

“No matter where you are in the world, you simply log in two minutes before, do the chat then get on with your day. It is literally impossible to do more with less,” said Jarrod.

Join Jarrod and other IChemE members taking part in I’m an Engineer to show even more students that there’s something for them in STEM.

Want to take part? Email: discoverchemeng@icheme.org

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On IChemE Connect

IChemE Connect, the Institution’s online forum, continues to grow and now has over 5,000 members bringing together members of special interest groups, member groups, and other areas of personal and professional interest.

Current topics being discussed include Future Trends in Global Chemical Manufacturing, with members commenting on the perceived shift in chemical manufacturing from the West to Asia and the Middle East, which have experienced significant growth in this sector in recent years. Meanwhile, Duncan Lugton, IChemE head of policy and impact, is asking members for their experience of the ongoing tariff situation.

IChemE student members now have their own dedicated community on IChemE Connect discussing student internships and placement opportunities – and are being encouraged to share their stories of why they decided to study chemical engineering.

To join these discussions, first activate your IChemE Connect profile here: www.icheme.org/connect