Hi
I wonder if anyone can clarify some things for me.
1. Is the term Engineer protected in law in Canada and if so is PEng the only recognised Professional Qualification?
2. Is PEng the equivalent of CEng in the UK and if so how transferable are the qualifications?
3. What about IEng or Eng Tech?

One of the reasons I am considering a move to Canada is that I am fed up with the situation in the UK where anyone can call themselves an Engineer without the benefit of an Engineering Degree. Even the Engineering Council is intent on 'dumbing down' the profession by offering alternatives to the traditional Professional Engineer route. Gas fitters are more protected in law than people who design nuclear power stations, aircraft, ship etc.!

Hi

The following link should answer most of your questions. http://www.engineerscanada.ca/e/en_faq.cfm

As long as I get paid appropriately for my level of expertise and responsibility I could care less what anyone else calls themselves.


1. Sort of, although my Job title is Engineer, and I am not a PEng. I do however hold an acreditied Degree

2. Yes its similar, but there is not much in the way of back and forth reciprocation, however it has got better recently and you can be a sort of probationary PEng on a relatively fast track to recognition now.

3. What about IEng or Eng tech?

Hi
I wonder if anyone can clarify some things for me.
1. Is the term Engineer protected in law in Canada and if so is PEng the only recognised Professional Qualification? yes and yes (as others have said). I am not formally employed as an Engineer as i dont have PEng yet. I have been told that even having the term Engineer in your job title (apart from the one on your contract) is not acceptable so my contract calls me an Engineer (and my PR application is under the Engineering NOC code) but my job title that is on my business cards, email signature etc. doesnt mention the word engineer(
2. Is PEng the equivalent of CEng in the UK and if so how transferable are the qualifications? No - there is no mutual recognition. Apparently they do consider Engineering Council Registration but you have to apply the same way as everyone else, my application is currently approaching 12months of assessment. They also require your degree transcripts and referecnes from everyone you have worked for (well, APEGGA (Alberta)) do).What is acceptable to the Eng. Council is not necessarily acceptable in Canada. Also, bear in mind that different provinces have difference rules as to whther they will consider your experience or not.
3. What about IEng or Eng Tech? Dont think there is an equivalent

hope that helps

Thanks guys all the answers are appreciated. I did not intend to come across in any way snobby about the Chartered Engineer thing, but I think Professional Standards are important and can appreciate the Canadian view on protecting these.

I can see the canadian engineers point of view in protecting their nice little closed shop.

Lets not kid ourselves, yes, they maintain standards, but they also protect the interests of the members who pay the annual fees too in keeping out the riff raff.

not a problem - the reason engineers get paid better here is that the term is protected whether you agree with it or not. One thing to remember about APEGGA etc (or so I was told) is that they are set up to protect the public from bad engineers - they are not set up to look after the engineer (as is the role of the ICE, IMMM etc in the UK).

what branch of engineering are you looking into?

That sounds like something and APEGGA member may have told you for sure

The couple of PEO members I socialise with admit that its basically a social club as far as they are concerned, and they maintain their membership because of the improved job opportunities. Then again ones a mech eng, so PEng status is legally important for work, the other is a Quality Engineer with a materials background, similar to myself, and for him it carries greater authority on his business card but has little day to day relevance. It used to be a bonus for me cos he could stamp my passport application, but even the passport people are not that fussy now.

I am a Mechanical Engineer with EC registration through the IMechE. In a previous life I worked in aerospace and was actually offered a job in Canada with Bell Helicopter. However, it did not suit me at the time. I now specialise in rotating equipment in Chemical Process Industries. My wife may be taking up a secondment through her work so I have to decide whether to stay here or consider going over with her with a view to making it a long term move.

With regards to qualifications there are international agreements on recognising them for the purposes of PEng etc. Your degree course must be recognised by the Engineering Council to be internationally recognised by Canada.

My company has removed the term Engineer from job titles for everyone including those with PEng qual. I nearly went to work for Bell Helicopters.

Would imagine that there is plenty of chemical process opportunities in Alberta in the oilsands

good luck with whatever you decide

I work for an engineering consultancy and we have several CEng (including me) who are experienced specialists who do engineering work, but cannot be called engineers! Being a PEng doesn't make you a good engineer, anymore than being a CEng does. It just means that you have spent 12 To 18 months navigating your way through the bureaucratic hurdles that test your patience more than your engineering abilities. However, PEng is the recognised qualification to be considered an 'engineer' in Canada, so once I get a quiet couple of days, I will be submitting my application. For IEng, google Technologist.

LOL - so true!!

1. Yes and yes. The law relating to engineering is provincial, and each province has an engineering association that regulates the profession, a bit like the medical professions. This means the professional body has disciplinary powers, including consequential penalties for transgressions entirely unrelated to engineering.

2. No, because P.Eng indicates that the holder is legally bound by a code of ethics. The provincial association will consider your qualifications (transcripts) and experience (based on references from professionally-qualified referees), but will also require you to sit a professional practice exam. The Washington Accord may help with academic accreditation - details on the ECUK web site. If you fall short of Canadian qualifications, the professional association will require you to sit academic confirmatory exams. You will also need a year of Canadian experience.

3. Provinces also have associations for technicians and technologists. In Alberta it's ASET. IEng are eligible for registration as technologists I think, but there is no legal regulation of the technician or technologist profession.

Be careful what you wish for. I am a CEng and a PEng (also IntPE(UK) which is meant to facilitate professional mobility but in practice isn't recognized by the provinces). APEGGA publishes salary surveys that give me some bargaining power, and I can use CEng, PEng on my business card (either would be illegal without PEng), but APEGGA is a completely different outfit from the IMechE or ECUK. It seems to have attracted people who convey great enthusiasm for spending my membership dues on enforcement activity. I also notice that people are more cynical of my professional status here than in the UK, because of the perception that it is a protectionist old boys' club. At least in the UK they assume you can do something valuable to society, like fix their washing machine. As to the notion that the whole deal is necessary to protect the public from bad engineering, well we might wish to review some statistics on that!

I am, however, qualified to apply my professional stamp and seal - perhaps I'll do that to my next domestic appliance repair job.

Actually you can apply as a Foreign Licencee (Flic) without a years Canadian experience. You still get a stamp and can call yourself an Engineer. (well, you can in Alberta!)