IET: New boss takes the helm at ICT industry body
The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Head of Registration and Standards, Mike Bridgefoot, has been appointed Chair of industry body the SFIA Foundation.
SFIA – the Skills Framework for the Information Age – is the industry standard used to identify and define the skills needed to develop information systems using information and communications technology (ICT). It has been adopted in over 100 countries.
The move culminates Bridgefoot’s involvement with SFIA dates from its inception: he was part of the team which validated the first version of the framework 11 years ago, and has also been a Director of the SFIA Foundation since 2006. The organisation was founded by the IET, BCS, eSkills UK, IMIS, and itSMF.
Mike Bridgefoot believes that SFIA is key to growing professionalism in the ICT sector. He said: “These technologies have become critical to national economies. SFIA enables all employers of IT professionals to maintain and improve skills and competence, and therefore performance – using tools such as skills audits and targeted training – against a common reference framework.
“SFIA is also a developing standard, and its direction is determined very much by the changing requirements of the ICT workplace.”
A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IET, the SFIA appointment augments Bridgefoot’s core role with the IET leading the department that maintains professional engineering and IT qualifications for engineers and technologists working in the range of business and industry sectors within the scope of the IET.
“My key focus is to continue to grow the Institution’s registration levels working in partnership with members, employers and IET teams,” he says. “The IET is the UK’s prime registration body for individuals engaged in these disciplines, and my focus now fully includes ICT. The Institution has actually always had strong constituencies of membership in computing and communications technologies, as well as many others underpinning ICT. These disciplines are still developing within our professions, and registration and accreditation is massively important to ensuring that professional standards continue to improve.”
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Notes to editors:
. The 2010 SFIA Conference takes place on December 1 at the Conference Centre of The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 1, Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET. For more details, visit www.sfia.org.uk.
. Media interviews with Mike Bridgefoot can be arranged upon request.
. The IET is Europe’s largest professional body of engineers with 150,000 members in 127 countries across the world.
. The IET dates back to 1871 and has offices in Europe, Asia and the US.
. For more information on the IET, visit www.theiet.org.
Media enquiries to:
Robert Beahan, Press Officer
T: +44 (0)1438 767336
M: +44 (0)7595 400912
E: rbeahan@theiet.org
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