NEW DEMANDS FOR THE CIVIL ENGINEER IN THE CONDITIONS OF EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP Yatchko Ivanov President of the Bulgarian Scientific and Technical Union of Civil Engineerring May 15, 2007

NEW DEMANDS FOR THE CIVIL ENGINEER IN THE CONDITIONS OF EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP 1. Introduction 2. New conditions in 21-st century – new demands 3. European union membership and challenges 4. Title „Euroengineer” and intention „Eutocard”

NEW CONDITIONS IN 21-ST CENTURY “The engineer typifies the twentieth century. Without his genius and the vast contribution he has made in design, engineering, and produstion on the matwerial side of our existence, our contemporary life could never have reached its present standard.” Alfred Sloan General Motors “It is great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone or metal or energy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standards of living and adds to the comforts of life. That is the engineer’s high privilege.” Herbert Hoover mining engineer President of the United States

WHAT IS CIVIL ENGINEERING IN 21-ST CENTURY? Civil infrastructure systems

FUTURE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING Future TrendsCivil Engineer Implications Globalization ­ Global economy; ­ Instant communication; ­ Cultural integration; ­ Jobs and immigration. There will be dramatic changes in civil engineering careers, businesses, and markets. Population and development ­ Population increases; ­ Sustainable development; ­ Consumption demand. There will be more work in the areas of infrastructure improvement, environmental management, and protection against disaster loss. Clients may have difficulty paying for work in some cases. Technology and knowledge ­ Technology acceleration; ­ Knowledge advancement; ­ Knowledge diffusion; ­ Green technologies. Civil engineers must adapt to new technologies and work modes. Government ­ Triumph of democracy; ­ Privatization; ­ Partnerships. Organization of the civil engineering industry will change to facilitate adaptation to increasing marketplace competition.

FUTURE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CIVIL ENGINEER Future TrendsCivil Engineer Implications Social shifts ­ Equity and poverty; ­ Multiculturalism; ­ Internationalization; ­ Public health; ­ Social tensions. Civil engineers have the opportunity to respond to social needs, if they can develop design and management plans that meet human needs, and simultaneously satisfy both public and private clients. Business ­ Change rate acceleration; ­ Internationalization; ­ E-commerce and business-to-business; ­ Mergers and acquisitions; ­ Vertical integrations; ­ Life cycle products and green business. Business and government will change rapidly. Civil engineers must be flexible and continue to learn about new business trends and possibilities. Work ­ Teams; ­ New and different workers; ­ End of 8-hour workday; ­ Workplace portability (ability to work anywhere). The workplace will change dramatically. Civil engineers and other professionals will not be entitled to any particular market but must continue to demonstrate that their skills prepare them to deliver superior products and services.

ACTIVITY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

CIVIL ENGINEER DUTY

ENGCARD goal  The goal of ENGCARD is to design a committed professional qualifications passport intending to play the role of a “Sesame” to facilitate mobility by reducing the major obstacles related to the recognition of the professional qualifications of the engineering professionals and complying with the following assumption : “Recognition of Qualifications requires Trust, and Trust requires Transparency”.  ENGCARD will contribute to solve this issue by delivering a reliable and trusted European Engineering Professional Card. The card will present the professional qualifications of the cardholder on a transparent and EU standardized way in order to facilitate their geographical and/or occupational and/or virtual mobility, without however replacing or overruling the national legislation in place in some EU Member States regulating the engineering professions.  The pass itself, as a seal certifying the level of qualifications reached by the engineering professional, will be physically materialized on a secure portable chipcard in order to constitute the Professional Identity Card of the cardholder.

ENGCARD benefits  With the proposal to use the generic EUROPASS documents upgraded by the EUROPASS–ENGCARD qualifications passport, it will be demonstrated that an Universal Quality Label has been reached by the cardholder and that the image, the status and the prestige of the European engineering professional will be reinforced at EU and worldwide level.  The successful implementation of ENGCARD will act as a Qualifications Transparency enhancer & Recruitment facilitator tool for employers/contractors (mainly SMEs) and for all engineering professionals.  ENGCARD will also act as Recognition facilitator for national administrations in charge of recognition in the countries regulating the profession by facilitating and speeding up the evaluation procedure.

Project ENGCARD (the European Engineering Professional Card) France Germany Belgium

ENGCARD INFORMATION

EUROPASS, according to recommendation 2002/236/EC

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!