1 What are professional and sector bodies and what do they do?
In Week 1, profession was defined as ‘a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification’. Think of doctors, accountants, architects, teachers, engineers and others. These are all regulated by law and typically by a professional body.
Sometimes known as professional organisations, associations or even societies, professional bodies exist primarily to further the interests of that profession and of individuals within it, and to defend the public interest. They oversee professional practice and often have an important role in monitoring and maintaining professional standards, together with developing and awarding professional qualifications. They may also have an important regulatory role in making sure that professionals are doing their jobs properly and in investigating complaints against their members.
Very often, membership of the appropriate professional body is necessary for an individual to practice in that field; a good example of this in the UK is the Law Society, to which all solicitors must belong before they can practice.
Activity 1 Identifying professional bodies
Think of as many professional bodies as you can from your own experience. You may already belong to one, know someone who does, or have been provided with professional services by a member. This happens every time you go to the doctor or dentist! See if you can come up with at least five.
Comment
There are well over 200 professional bodies in the UK alone, covering most areas of employment or professional practice.
Here are a few of the more commonly known ones:
Professional body | Professional body |
---|---|
Association of British Travel Agents Association of MBAs Association of Taxation Technicians British Horse Society Chartered Banker Institute Chartered Institute of Journalists Chartered Institute of Linguists College of Teaching | Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Institution of Chemical Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Law Society Royal College of Nursing Royal College of General Practitioners |
And here are a few possibly less well-known ones:
Professional body | Professional body |
---|---|
British Guild of Travel Writers Institute of Asphalt Technology Institute of Corrosion | Institute of Groundsmanship Institute of Tourist Guiding Royal British Society of Sculptors |
Is your job regulated by a professional body? If so, this could be a good starting point for your research and could help you with the activities that occur later this week.