Registration is now mandatory for all professional engineers across the five areas of engineering in Victoria (Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical and Fire Safety). Engineers under five (5) areas must be registered to provide professional engineering services both in Victoria and outside Victoria if the services are intended for Victoria.
Engineers are exempt from being registered if they provide professional engineering services under the under the direct supervision of a registered professional engineer or provide services only in accordance with a prescriptive standard (usually applies to a repetitive engineering activity).
To be eligible for registration, engineer must meet the qualification and experience requirements or competency requirements for each of the areas of engineering in which they wish to apply for registration.
Qualification
o A Washington Accord accredited under-graduate Bachelor of Engineering degree or post-graduate Master of Engineering degree in the area or areas of engineering in which you wish to apply for registration and endorsement
o An Australian or overseas non-Washington Accord academic qualification in a relevant area or areas of engineering that has been assessed as substantially equivalent to an accredited Washington Accord under-graduate Bachelor of Engineering degree or a post-graduate Master of Engineering degree by relevant authority.
Experience
o Engineer should have five years of experience working in the relevant area or areas of engineering. At least four years must be post-graduate experience.
o A shorter period of experience may be accepted if you have met certain competencies and requirements and are assessed as competent by an assessment entity to provide professional engineering services without direct supervision.
The Business Licensing Authority (BLA) has approved assessment schemes to be administered by the various assessment entities:
Below are the approved assessment entities and areas of engineering:
Engineers Australia
o Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical and Fire Safety Engineering
Professionals Australia
o Civil, Structural, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
IPWEA Victoria
o Civil Engineering
AusIMM
o Civil Engineering
AIRAH
o Mechanical Engineering
CIBSE
o Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
ICI
o Civil & Structural Engineering
ICE (Australia)
o Civil Engineering
IStructE (Australia)
o Structural Engineering
Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia
o Mechanical Engineering
The Business Licensing Authority (BLA) Victoria is the government body responsible for:
o considering and deciding applications for registration (and endorsement of engineers registration to work in the building industry
o renewing registration every three years, and
o approving assessment schemes and the entities that administer those schemes.
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is the government body responsible for:
o providing a recommendation to the BLA on whether an applicant is a fit and proper person to have their registration endorsed to work in the building industry, and
o considering and deciding annual endorsement statements for endorsed building engineers.
Further and up-to-date information is available from the following link:
Professional engineers - Consumer Affairs Victoria
Kiran Gautam, RPEVic CPEng NER
Program Manager, Moonee Valley City Council