The GSE Profession team are launching an exciting new professional recognition offer! By forging partnerships with a variety of professional bodies across science and engineering, GSE members can now access more opportunities for their career development. The GSE Profession team is incredibly passionate about finding ways to recognise the inspiring and highly renowned skillset and experience of GSE members.
This professional recognition offer will provide you with: information about what becoming professionally recognised means, the benefits to individuals and departments, how you go about applying, and how we can support you in tracking the skills needed to become registered, chartered or continue your professional development. Read our earlier blog to see the list of our current partner institutions.
The GSE professional recognition offer will:
- Increase GSE members’ awareness of: what types of professional recognition there are, the benefits, the requirements, and how you can apply. We will deliver this through a series of events from GSE and partners, as part of our GSE recognition week – read more about this here.
- Provide bespoke routes to application with our partner institutions. We will deliver this through producing a guided GSE member journey to professional registration.
- Support you in tracking and developing the skills required for the several types of professional registration from our partner institutions. We will provide a GSE competency mapping between the GSE technical skills and the different professional qualifications available, and provide access to our GSE skills assessment tool where you can track your competency evidence and find relevant development opportunities.
- Support you in gaining funding from your departments towards professional recognition, by providing a recommended process and tips for writing a business case when required.
To receive information on the support outlined in steps 2-4, please email gse@go-science.gov.uk and we will send you our full support package (available from late-September 2021).
Please see below some FAQs on the GSE professional recognition offer. Many of these questions will be answered through introductory events in our GSE Recognition Week (13th – 20th September 2021) which we encourage you to attend to find out more!
- What is chartership/membership/registered status? All of these are different levels of being professionally recognised. The different labels, qualifications and entry requirements vary between professional bodies/institutions, but all certify (to different degrees) the skills developed in your career so far. They provide qualifications to formally recognise your professional work experience and make you a part of a professional community.
- What are the benefits? Being professionally recognised by a professional institute/body provides tangible, external recognition of your scientist/engineering skills, and supports professional development and future job applications. By being connected to a professional institute/body you will also gain: access to expert talks, international professional networks, collaboration opportunities, events, career opportunities, training workshops, and latest news in relevant subject areas.
- Am I eligible for professional registration? If you use science or engineering in your role from research to capability building (there are a variety of ways to evidence meeting the requirements), it is likely that you are eligible for some type of recognition from your relevant institution. Requirements vary for the different recognition types, and we are mapping these requirements against our GSE technical skills. You can get a copy of these mappings from late-September by emailing gse@go-science.gov.uk.
- What does it cost? This varies by professional body/institution and by the type of registration you are seeking. We have received support from the Departmental Heads of Science and Engineering Profession (HoSEPs) who recommend you try to expense any fees through your department. For our recommended process and tips on gaining funding, please email gse@go-science.gov.uk.
Future support coming
We are also looking into developing a bank of mentors to support GSE members through their application process. Some professional organisations provide coaching and mentorship, but having someone within government or even within your department can be of immense help in understanding what evidence you can use for your applications.
If you are already professionally recognised with any professional institute/body and would be willing to mentor someone in your department new to this process, please let us know by emailing gse@go-science.gov.uk.
