Studying Engineering and becoming a Professional Engineer

“With great power comes great responsibility,” said Uncle Ben to Spiderman. This mantra runs true with our modern day superheroes - the professional engineers who meet the world’s ever-growing needs and solve its problems.

These professionals are highly revered because they have achieved the highest form of engineering. They are authority figures that can prepare, sign, seal and submit engineering plans to government and business organisations.

As mighty as these professional engineers seem, the process of gaining the “Ir” before their names is no easy feat. It is a time-consuming endeavour, but in the long-run this investment will mean greater job opportunities and wider professional scope when it comes to doing the job.

In this feature, we show you the journey that engineering majors undergo to become a professional engineer and the rewards that await them.

Who is in charge?

These professional bodies are in charge of the engineering profession:

Points to consider when choosing an engineering course

Competition among entry-level engineers is fierce, and the key to becoming employable is internships. Internship experience should align with career goals can help a graduate gain advantage for future employment.

“My advise to aspiring students to pursue engineering is to stay on the main stream of engineering such as mechanical, electrical, civil and chemical. There are many other branches of engineering that students can choose from such as aeronautical, manufacturing, materials, mechantronics, marine, electronics and so forth. All these programmes prepare students to meet the respective area of specialization in various industries. However, what is most important when choosing an engineering programme, is to ensure that the programme is an accredited engineering programme by the Board of Engineers Malaysia.,” says Prof Dr Ir Ramesh Singh, head of University of Malaya’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Furthermore, he believes that students must be given relevant work opportunities to validate their career plans while keeping them engaged in their engineering degree programmes. While pursuing their degree, students can sign up for programmes and workshops at IEM to gain more training and experience. Ir Abdul Azim bin Abdul Razak, an IEM member, suggests that students can start getting exposure to the engineering industry so that they can start developing and selling ideas.

A student member of IEM can network with practicing engineers, attend technical talks, courses and visits; enrol in a mentorship programme with a senior engineer especially for final year project; and get potential industry training programme attachments.

It is also important to note that students must choose quality engineering programme that are accredited. The EAC has accredited 190 engineering programmes at 26 institutions of higher learning nationwide.

Taking baby steps

An engineering graduate must be registered as a Graduate Engineer with BEM within 6 months of entering engineering practise. BEM recognises the experience gained by an engineering graduate only after he has registered as a graduate engineer.

In order to qualify as a graduate engineer, the applicant must comply with one of these academic qualifications:

• Applicant is a graduate of an engineering programme recognised by BEM and the EAC.

• Applicants who have finished a 3-year engineering programme not recognised by EAC must top up with a master’s degree from an accredited university.

• Applicants who have completed an electrical engineering degree must have undergone core electrical subjects such as fields (electromagnetics) and circuits, power electronics (drives) and machines and drives, electrical power systems, and high voltage technology.

Once registered, a graduate engineer must obtain 3 years’ practical experience in order to qualify as a corporate member of IEM and to sit for the Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) conducted by BEM. BEM evaluates the graduate engineer’s practical experience, which must show a level competency in any of the following criteria:

• In the planning, design, execution or management of engineering works
• In engineering research; or
• In the teaching of engineering

A graduate engineer who has worked overseas must have his foreign experience certified by a professional engineer of the respective country and counter-signed by a local employer. They must also have gained at least one year working experience in Malaysia.

Last year, BEM reported a total register of 52,000 graduate and professional engineers. The majority of its members are graduate engineers.

Opportunities abound

Once a candidate has passed the PAE, he can proceed to apply for professional engineer status. Applicants must submit reports of their training and work experiences that exhibit a sound understanding of engineering knowledge and capacity to accept professional responsibilities.

“A professional engineer who is registered with BEM can be recognised and exempted from licensing in other countries,” says Ir Ashari bin Mohd Yakub, BEM Executive Director. He adds that those qualified can advance higher in their careers, can become consultant engineers, and find employment in other countries. Furthermore, professional engineers tend to earn more than their non-licensed counterparts.

"A professional engineer is simply a testament of achievement of a graduate engineer worthy of recognition as a professional. It is a reflection of his/her leadership, technical competency, trustworthy and the ability to shoulder heavy responsibility as an engineer. The recognition also demands great respect from fellow colleagues and peers. Pursuing the professional or chartered engineer status should be the aspiration of every graduate and practicing engineers," said Dr Ir Ramesh.

The International Professional Engineers Agreement (IPEA) makes this mobility among professional engineers possible. Professional engineers who have seven years experience and registered with BEM and/or a corporate member with IEM can join the IPEA. Members can provide their services to other member countries.

With the increasing commercialisation of education, and a very wide choice of engineering programmes, students who wish to become successful, need to make informed decisions as to where they should invest their time, effort and money. In this case, a professional engineering license pays dividends as it marks an engineer as someone capable of understanding and dealing with engineering changes in a global perspective.