Regulations for Engineers and engineering in Australia

[mk2000]

I would ask this in an appropriate form if there was one but since this is the only forum Australia specific I will post this here. I apologise for any inconvenience caused in advance.

I have realised that in USA and Canada the local governments have regulated the engineering profession. By saying that people can not call themself an engineer unless they have been through the appropriate course and obtained the appropriate qualification form a certified university. This is quite the opposite in Australia. There are a lot of people which practice as an engineer with out having the appropriate qualification.

Does anyone know why the Australian governments (Local or federal) have not adopted the USA or Canadian trend as they seam to regulate the tradesman? For example plumbers, builders, and electricians all need to be licensed but not engineers.

Regards

 

[jhardy1]

That's not necessarily the case in all states. In Queensland, for example, the Building Act and the Professional Engineers Act require building designs and other notifiable works to be certified by a Registered Professional Engineer (RPEQ). RPEQ registration is administered by the Board of Professional Engineers, and requires the equivalent of a 4 year degree, auditable records of continuous professional development, etc.

This is very similar to the model you refer to in America and Canada.

 

[mk2000]

JulianHardy

How about other engineering related industries, such as Air Conditioning, process, electrical and alike? What you are talking about is industry regulation as appose to profession regulation.

For example Doctors, lawyers, builders, electricians, plumbers; it is illegal to call your self a doctor or do building construction work with out a building licence. This is not as much about the industry as about a particular profession.

If you look at thread 798-175558 I asked the same question form our USA and Canadian colleague and generated some interesting replies.

Regards

 

[apsix]

This is quite the opposite in Australia. There are a lot of people which practice as an engineer with out having the appropriate qualification.

There's a bit of overstatement here, you make it sound like Australia is full of cowboys not knowing what they are doing.

For example plumbers, builders, and electricians all need to be licensed but not engineers

That's not exactly true; only the tradesmen who are in control or have to sign off need to be licensed, most tradesman you see on site are probably not licensed.

There are a lot of people which practice as an engineer with out having the appropriate qualification

Again, people with the appropriate skills but not necessarily the formal qualifications can work in design etc. with a 'licensed engineer' supervising and signing off the work. This I believe is true for the civil/structural field for most, if not all, states. I can't really comment on the other fields but would be suprised if it isn't similar for electrical engineers.

The basic intent of licensing is to protect clients and the public from financial and safety risks, and probably to keep insurers happy. If there are some engineering fields where there is no demonstrated need for licensing why do it? Just because it's done in the US etc doesn't mean it has to be done in Austr.