In Malta, bearing the heavy influence of our colonial past, there is a predominating perception of the profession of engineer, which is still rooted to the dawn of the industrial revolution, silhouetted by a grim, rough and heavy industrial setting.

This common conception within our society is based on the artefacts that engineers develop and conceive rather than on the thinking process and the deep scientific knowledge required to develop technological objects.

In a modern world, with relentless technological developments the link between the object and the maker/designer becomes less clear. For example, few people appreciate that the majority of developments in medicine and surgery have only been possible through the ingenuity of engineers.

Aeroplanes, though driven by pilots, have been designed and developed by engineers with extensive knowledge of scientific principles necessary to make the thousands of components of an aeroplane work in perfect orchestra.

Our water and electricity, which we nowadays use as if it were a right and not a commodity, can only be provided through the skills and knowledge of engineers running our power station and our reverse osmosis plant.

Back in 2016, in an article published in Forbes entitled ‘It’s official – engineering helps economies to grow’, the direct link between the economy and engineers was highlighted following a study commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering. While this direct link was very clear, the study also highlighted the fact that there is no globally agreed definition of what ‘an engineer’ is or does.

In many countries, the title of the engineer is not regulated. In southern European countries, including Malta, the title is regulated and is bestowed only to individuals with specific academic qualifications. In Malta, the title of inġinier is protected by law (chapter 321 – engineering profession act), which has been lately the subject of controversy because of various proposed changes that could have been of detriment, both to the profession and to society in general.

The Chamber of Engineers has worked hard to ensure that the new version of the engineering act is improved. The proposed modifications by the Chamber of Engineers are currently being scrutinised by the European Commission following positive negotiations with the engineering profession board.

The size of the Maltese industry is limited and, in some cases, employment of professionals is considered a liability rather than an asset. This is opposed to other countries that are leaders in technological innovation where knowledge and expertise are highly esteemed and considered to lead to a competitive advantage.

At the moment, there is also another serious matter surrounding the industry. There is a large vacuum of technicians. From a survey carried out by the Chamber of Engineers, various key players in the industry expressed extreme concern on the lack of technical skills that may be found from the Maltese workforce. This has led many companies to resort to foreign workers, who are in many cases difficult to recruit and might lack the right commitment or even the right skills to carry out the work.

There is a direct link between the economy and engineers- Daniel Micallef

Many students are either simply not interested in pursuing such a career or decide to opt to take the full route of becoming an engineer. While the latter is not in itself negative, it might be that the Maltese society is putting too much pressure on the younger generations to take up traditional professions as the only respectable career paths.

While, according to the chamber’s survey, the need for engineers is increasing, technicians are still essential players in the industry and a career that is prestigious in its own right. Engineers cannot effectively execute their knowledge in practice without technicians.

It is also very regretful that educational institutions in Malta and across Europe are pushing the idea of vocational education as a path to becoming an engineer. This idea goes entirely against the type of education route expected from an engineer as stipulated under the engineering profession act.

Vocational education remains an important cornerstone of our educational system and will continue to be. The issue arises when vocational education is used as a substitute to an academic-based student formation.

To put it bluntly, vocational education and learning through practice is suitable to produce technicians while an academic based educational process along with the all-important practical exposure is needed to produce engineers.

That is not to say that one form of the educational route is superior to the other but simply that they are different and do not lead to the same outcome. Vocational education has failed, not in its premise, but to attract technicians to sustain Malta’s industry.

Daniel Micallef is president, Chamber of Engineers.