President’s Message

Dear Valued Member,

First let me take this opportunity to thank you for continuing to support the Association of Professional Engineers of Saint Lucia Incorporated (APESL Inc.). I am pleased to share with you our 2011-13 outlook and to request your personal support for the period.

Working collectively with our members will certainly assist in accomplishing the major challenges that our Association faces in 2011-12.  I also consider the leadership role to be a challenge at this time of great uncertainty, given the current global financial crisis and the emerging national, regional and international issues that are very relevant to the Engineering profession.

It is precisely this challenge which can renew our identity and commitment, and forge us into a stronger body to meet the needs of our members and the Society we serve as Engineers. At this juncture it is imperative that we evaluate our Association and we all make a concerted effort to advance the interest of Professional Engineers and ensure that we adhere to the highest Engineering standard.

To better serve, the new Executive has agreed that we will be contacting our members to identify and learn about the issues that most concern you. To be more effective APESL must increase membership and actively engage members in the work of the Association. The board of Directors has endorsed some key strategies identified by our members.

♦          Get active

♦          Be relevant

♦          The use of senior Engineers for monitoring and polices.

♦          Recruit and retain members

In order to achieve the above we have developed a vision for your consideration.

Vision

Our vision is that APESL Inc will be, the Premier Engineering body in St. Lucia, the best managed professional body, the first port of call by policy makers, and will be driven by a strong, unified, innovative and ethical membership committed to engineering excellence.

In considering our holistic development we make a special appeal to our members to participate in the following:

Registered Engineer

To practice Engineering in St. Lucia you must be a Registered Professional Engineer.  Members of APESL are governed by a code of professional practice. If you have been working for many years and not registered, it is advisable to take a structured approach to professional development and the collection of supporting evidence and get registered.  Your professional development is your responsibility.  APESL will provide you with professional guidance.

Fellows (FAPESL)

There are a number of Members who have qualified to be Fellows of the Association and the Executive will be making proposals for confirmation by the general body. We are of the view that this will assist in further developing the engineering profession in Saint Lucia and the region.

Chartered Engineer (C Eng)

Internationally there are opportunities for us to participate and establish joint ventures, however not having the status of (C Eng) is a barrier to trade. We have many members that are qualified for (C Eng) status and therefore we would like to take this opportunity to encourage those members to get registered as (C Eng).  We need to prepare for regional and international business.

Award

The APESL award is the highest award given to an individual by the Association.  It will be presented to an Engineer who has made outstanding contributions to the Engineering Profession, the public welfare and adhere to the Association code of conduct.  The award will be presented at APESL Annual Dinner in July.  All entries must be submitted no later that June 30, 2011.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Professional Development is vital for Engineers.  It covers the processes of achieving and enhancing professional competence.  Engineers are responsible for managing their continuing development throughout their working life.  APESL will ensure CPD are available to members.

Insight Magazine

We will continue the publication of Insight magazine to give our members an opportunity to write and keep our members in touch with the latest in the field. The first publication for 2011, should be available by July 2011.

Directory

A Corporate Membership Directory will be in circulation as of March 31, 2011 and therefore we request that you review your information and ensure your details are accurate.

Calendar of Events

Our website will be used to disseminate information to our members.  Please check regularly to get the most up-to-date information.

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the general membership for the opportunity that you have given to me to serve the organization at the highest level and to provide me with a Board of Directors with diverse experience and skills. In return we request from you, your active participation within the Association via email, letters, financial support, articles and in whatever way you can contribute. We would like you to stay in touch and ensure that the APESL Inc is the premier engineering body in St. Lucia and by extension in the region.

Nigel A. Fulgence, MAPESL

President