You may not be ready to start your chartered journey, but there is no harm in learning the lingo when it comes to the pathways, here are a few words you may hear frequently and what they mean.

AREA OF PRACTICE

An Area of Practice is a subgroup of the engineering profession that practitioners align their skills and work activities with.  Formal education, informal education and work experience will influence how an engineering practitioner identifies with an Area of Practice.

COMPETENCY

For the Chartered credential, there are 16 competencies. These are considered the profession's expression of the knowledge and skill base, engineering application abilities, and professional skills, values and attitudes that must be demonstrated in order to practise engineering independently or unsupervised. They are aligned with the International Engineering Alliance competencies for each of Professional Engineer, Engineering Technologist, Engineering Associate.

CPD

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. Professional Development is the core events and activities you undertake to build upon your knowledge, expertise and experience of certain topics which is often required to maintain your professionalism.

CPD LOG

This is the process on which you document and track the skills, knowledge and experience you gain formally and informally as you work.

EVIDENCE

Evidence can be a combination of emails, minutes, drawings, plans, charts, reports, risk assessments, written narratives, presentations or other documents which show your engineering work and that prove you undertake the requirements of the Chartered Competencies for your Occupational Category and Areas of Practice. The most critical components of your Chartered Evidence are your CV and Continuing Professional Development Log.

INDUSTRY REVIEWERS

Industry Reviewers - This is all about getting feedback from your peers on your engineering competency and is the next step after completion of your self-assessment.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Becoming Chartered involves proving (and then maintaining) competency in all 16 Elements of the Australian Stage 2 Competency Standards. The Self-Assessment involves you rating yourself either Developing, Functional, Proficient or Advanced in each of the 16 elements as the first step on your Chartered journey.

STAGE 1

To demonstrate Stage 1 Competency you will need to, either, complete a course Accredited by Engineers Australia or, undertake a Stage 1 Assessment (if for example you have studied overseas). In order to apply for Stage 2 (Chartered) you must be Stage 1 Competent and have gained typically 5 years or more experience.

STAGE 2

The Stage 2 Competency Standards, are the basis of assessment for Chartered membership of Engineers Australia (CPEng, CEngA and CEngT) and registration on the National Engineers Register (NER). Chartered status is exclusive to Engineers Australia members. It is a professional credential recognised by government, business and brings with it, international mobility and recognition in your engineering profession.