Devon and Cornwall Joint Branch IMarEST and RINA
 
 
Devon and Cornwall Joint Branch
 
To provide locally acclaimed means to promote the
activities of marine professionals sponsored by
RINA and IMarEST
 
 
The Joint Branch organises professional, technical and social events for the benefit of local RINA and IMarEST members, providing an opportunity to meet and exchange views with other industry professionals. Members of the Institutions are automatically members of their local Branch, and are kept informed of events, many of which are open to non-members.
 
The Joint Branch is managed by the Committee, elected from and by the members of the Joint Branch.
 

Continuing Professional Development

Members should not be surprised to find that the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects suggest that all members should undertake continuing professional development. The Engineering Council requires that registrants, on application, produce evidence of a continuing professional development plan, and the Science Council requires registrants to re-validate their competence every five years after registration.  The Devon and Cornwall Joint Branch expect that all members should have a continuing professional development action plan as part of their portfolio of personal improvement objectives.

Continuing professional development is not just a standard applied by professional institutions and regulatory bodies, every chartered or incorporated professional commits to their own life-long learning and self-improvement process as part of a total quality ethos.  Whether members are self-employed or employed, a vital part of business improvement is the identification, acquisition and review of new or perished skills that the business requires for success.

This ethos provides a win-win climate for the process and culture changes necessary for business improvement.  Devon and Cornwall Joint Branch members will benefit from rewarding professional careers and the region’s maritime sector businesses will benefit from quality improvement. 

Click here to read the IMarEST’s ‘CPD guide for members.’
 
 

The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology

Guidance notes for mentors and for companies establishing a mentoring programme

Introduction

This guide is designed to offer assistance to those members of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) who are considering becoming a mentor, or those members of the Institute seeking a mentor. A mentor can either assist an IMarEST Graduate member (GIMarEST) gain Corporate member status (Initial Professional Development - IPD) or assist another Corporate member progress in their career (Continuing Professional Development - CPD). This guide is intended to provide helpful guidance for mentoring for IPD but the techniques are equally applicable for CPD. This guide additionally offers advice to organisations and companies that wish to establish a mentoring programme as part of a formal, structured graduate or technician training programme.

It is emphasized that mentoring is a unique, personal relationship between the mentor and the mentee and as such this guide is offered as a basis for discussion. However, it is based on the considerable experience of the institute and those other authorise listed at the reference.

What is a Mentor?

A mentor is usually described as a “wise or trusted advisor or guide” who, in a business/organisational environment, is there to provide guidance or advice of a professional nature as part of the development of a graduate, work colleague or peer (the mentee). The process of mentoring is a voluntary partnership which can employ coaching or counselling techniques to encourage this development and progression. A mentor is usually more experienced and often more senior, with the skills and expertise necessary to provide support to the mentee. The fundamental role of the mentor is to guide the mentee along their chosen career path.

Mentoring has a wide range of benefits for both the mentor as well as the mentee and can have a positive impact on the business as a whole. It can help new employees acclimatise to the working environment faster and with greater ease and can facilitate communication between the different levels of hierarchy within the company. Every employee needs advice and reassurance at some point during their career and having a mentor offers a unique and personal approach to this.

The mentee receives ‘tailor-made’ advice that permits him or her to gain balanced and unbiased advice for their medium and long-term career progression. The mentor becomes aware of new ideas and perspectives from his mentee, improves his/her own personal reputation within the company and can groom his/her own successor (the mentee) to progress further within the organisation.

Click here to read IMarEST Mentoring Guidance.