
The Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) is firmly focused on making a difference in 2025 and being at the heart of the road transport industry, according to Nick Elliott, chair of IRTE Professional Sector Council (PSC).
The IRTE, is the professional sector of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE), which has navigated some major changes within its senior leadership team over the last 18 months, and last year, the focus was on ensuring that the society was back on a firm footing.
Elliott explains: “Over the last 18 months, we have seen significant change within the organisation in terms of personnel, and last year was all about steadying the ship.
“We have now settled it all down and have new, competent people in place, and now, we are going to step forward, move in the right direction and focus on getting things done.”
The SOE held its AGM in December, where it reflected on 2024, discussed its focus areas for 2025 and welcomed two new PSC members on to the committee.
FRESH BLOOD
The PSC committee is made up of 12 members, and at the AGM in December, it was announced that Ian Macdonald and Tony Jolliffe are leaving their roles, after providing invaluable service and knowledge on the IRTE PSC.
Taking their places are George Haywood, workshop manager at Sapphire Vehicle Services, a CPD assessor and trustee of the SOE, and Andrew Trigg, learning and development training specialist at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), a fellow of the SOE and accredited irtec assessor.
Elliott believes that the experience, dedication, enthusiasm and knowledge of both new council members will prove crucial to the future and growing its presence across the road transport industry.
He adds: “I think that we are going to get some added impetus in the council from the new committee members – George Haywood and Andrew Trigg.
“George will be able to bring a flavour of what it is like to have technicians reporting directly to him, as he can see what those technicians are needing. Andrew will bring to the table his wealth of experience and knowledge. They will both bring something new to the council.”
Another three members of the PSC committee are set to be elected at the AGM in September, replacing three currently serving. Each member serves on a three-year cycle.
FOCUS AREAS
Growing the membership is a key focus in 2025 and last year was a positive 12 months, as 385 new members were welcomed into the SOE, swelling the ranks, including 121 students and apprentices who joined up.
“The focus of our council meetings in 2025 is membership growth and doing what we can to ensure that we increase the number of members that we have,” Elliott says.
“We are in the digital age now and to boost membership, we need to engage with the entire engineering community, from apprentice level right up to the directors of engineering.
“We want them to understand what we can do to help them and we want to encourage them to be part of our organisation as a member.”
The particular focus is on trying to attract younger members at the start of their engineering careers, who will reap the most from the wide-ranging benefits and opportunities that membership of the SOE can bring.
Elliott says that his own membership has played a significant role in his own career and development, and it can play a crucial role in professional development.
The two key industry areas that Elliott believes need to be focused on in 2025 are beating the drum on the need for effective safety systems across all operations, and the value of apprentices and apprenticeship programmes.
These are both important areas for the road transport industry, vital to the effective running of the industry, both now and in the future.
Elliott says: “Safety is a key area. It is not about clipboards. It is about a totally different cultural way of working in organisations – to get to the point where people do the right thing when no one is watching, as opposed to standing to attention when the boss walks in and putting your hat and gloves on.“
Elliott started his career as an apprentice technician before working his way through the ranks to senior management positions.
“We have got to change government views, to let them know the value of apprentices,“ he says. “And the apprentices, and the technicians they then become, have to have an understanding of how they play a pivotal role in running transport operations.“
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Engaging with the industry through various digital platforms and at transport industry events is another key focus for 2025, Elliott says.
The hugely successful IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge will return from 2-6 June this year at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol, showcasing the bus and coach engineers and technicians across the industry. This is followed by a celebration of winners and runners-up at the Skills Challenge Awards in July.
The IRTE is also working on shaping a Skills Challenge equivalent for the HGV sector. Watch this space for more information.
This year, the IRTE will participate in the Microlise Transport Conference on 18 March at the Coventry Building Society Arena. The IRTE will be part of the SOE‘s seminar for the transport industry professionals attending.
The IRTE will also be exhibiting at the Commercial Vehicle Show (CV Show) this year, from 29 April to 1 May at the Birmingham NEC. The CV Show will be the launchpad of the Maintenance Provision Rating Scheme (MPRS), designed to set a new benchmark for excellence in vehicle maintenance and operational standards, offering organisations a robust framework to assess and improve their practices.
The IRTE will also be major part of the SOE exhibiting at the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair from 17-19 June at the NEC.
Additionally, this year, the SOE will also be introducing a range of new member benefits designed to enhance the professional journey of its members and so provide greater value for their membership.
Last year, a new SOE career guide, ‘Navigating Engineering: Pathways to Progress‘ was launched, along with a new mentoring platform that members will be able to utilise in 2025.
Visit www.soe.org.uk for more.