The Government must take a lead in encouraging engineers to achieve professional registration, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
IET chief executive, Robin McGill told MPs this week that increasing number of professional registered engineers can help to increase the competitiveness of UK plc in a very competitive world.
He believes that the Government as a significant employer of engineers in its own right has a role to play in encouraging wider acceptance of the need for registration amongst both graduates and established engineers.
"By registering engineers against the internationally recognised EngTech, IEng and CEng standards because we believe these efforts will truly increase the competitiveness of UK plc in a very competitive world," said McGill.
"We would encourage the Government to assist this process by requiring the appropriate professional registration within its own technical workforce and by insisting companies bidding for government contracts provide evidence of their professionalism and commitment to continuing professional development," said McGill.
Minister for Science and Innovation, Ian Pearson conceded that the UK can only succeed by creating a highly-skilled workforce and that engineers are "a very important part of this work".
But he gave no indication that the Government would take specific action and reminded the IET that it has "a key role to play in promoting engineering in the UK."
As part of its proactive approach, the IET is establishing a panel of experts specifically looking at innovation and emerging technologies.
The aim of the panel, which launches next week, is to identify technologies likely to have a global impact in the next 5-10 years.
It is hoped it will also make the IET a stronger lobbyist for the industry within government.