Sir, – I welcome Orla Feely's article on engineering as a career ("Want to get rich? You need to study engineering", June 24th). Its emphasis on the role of engineering in Irish society is particularly timely when we are subject to a daily procession of failed bankers and public servants before the banking inquiry showing themselves to be men of straw.
My problem with the article is the headline. A career in engineering is about much more than money.
At its core, engineering is about the life-long intellectual satisfaction of imagining, creating and delivering solutions; of working with teams to design and develop, on time and within budget, products that are aesthetically pleasing and fit for purpose; of being a member of a profession with ethics and standards.This is the quintessence of engineering which needs to be communicated to young people and their career guidance teachers. The Institute of Engineers should encourage its members to undertake school visits and extoll the benefits of a career in engineering.
The institute should also work to improve the status of engineers in Irish society so that over time it would be similar to that in most European countries. “Monsieur l’Ingénieur” has a ring to it in French society that only Irish and British engineers can dream of!
Ms Feely is absolutely right to emphasise the importance of engineering for jobs, growth and wealth creation in general and for personal enhancement as well. However, at a time when there are no longer any role models in Irish society, due to the recent political, business and church scandals, engineers have also, and perhaps most importantly, the moral responsibility to fill that void, fulfilling Ken Adler’s dictum that “Engineers offer a vision of how the world ought to be”. That should have been the clarion call of Ms Feely’s article with the headline “Engineers – role models for a new Ireland”. – Yours, etc,
Dr DECLAN DEASY,
Software Engineer,
Luxembourg .