Increase the percentage of engineering grads becoming RPEs? 1

[leanne]

How can the NSPE & current RPEs increase the percentage of engineering graduates pursuing RPE?

How can the existing RPE community help transition industry exempts to registration?

Another brainstorming exercise...

I'll start...

Develop a mentoring program wherein RPEs would guide college juniors/seniors or industry exempts through the registration process. Each RPE candidate should have enough mentors assigned to them to meet the recommendation requirements to complete the RPE application process. The new RPEs would then continue the tradition by mentoring others. Big brother/sister program for engineers.

Your turn...

 

[HamishMcTavish]

The UK engineering institutions run what they call a Monitored Professional Development Scheme which is essentially the same thing. Have a look at

http://www.thempds.org.uk/

to see if we are thinking of the same thing! I didn't realise that in the states you were supposed to go it alone.

Regards, HM

No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary - William of Occam

 

[PSE]

leanne,

Good threads! I heartily agree that the best way to get engineers at least started down a path towards licensure is to start early. In what seems to be a travesty now, my school curriculum did not even mention a PE, or even the EIT exam (didn't know what it was or why it might be useful until years later). After contacting my University, I found it was because my discipline does not really match up with any of the "traditional" engineering curriculums. I requested of them to at least expose future graduates to the EIT and concept of licensure.

My own prospects for licensure are slim as my state requires RPE's in the recommendation and I have yet to encounter one. A mentoring program would surely have been helpful.

Regards

 

[swertel]

The current issue of Engineer Times from NSPE has a plethora of articles about this topic. (Do I get points for using plethora in a sentence?) The main concept they are trying to get across is for PEs to get involved in local government either by writing letters, becoming part of an advisory board, or just getting to know (as in meet and talk to) your representatives in government.

In essence, burn the candle from both ends. Start young with the MathCounts to get kids interested in math, science, and engineering. Work with you alma maters to get them to press their graduates to persue EIT and PE. (I know one program at my school requires taking the FE/EIT exam in order to graduate. You don't have to pass, but you have to take the exam.) Then, as a working PE, motivate your non-PEs to strive for registration.


--Scott

For some pleasure reading, the Round Table recommends FAQ731-376

 

[PSE]

Personally, I would hate to see the potential backlash if the PE were forced upon all through legislation.

 

[cbiber]

Like PSE, I'm not likely to get licensed, for one simple reason: To get admitted to the test, you have to show increasing responsibility for a project. To me, this means that you are moving towards project management. I hate to do project management. I like the geeky stuff, the analytical skills, the troubleshooting in the lab, the figuring-out-how-stuff-works. So the process of getting admitted to the test put me off, even though I know I could handle just about any technical question they'd throw at me (with proper preparation, of course!).

Another other reason I haven't pursued the PE exam is that licensing seems geared toward projects that affect public safety. That's not the kind of work I do. I have never been asked (in an employment capacity) whether I am licensed.

I did take the Fundamentals Exam right out of college, (way back when it was called EIT) and was amazed that so many of the folks I took it with didn't pass... The only reason I took that exam was that the company where I interned encouraged their interns to take it.

On the mentoring program idea -- I have never worked anyplace where it was effective. In fact, these days, you can't expect to work at the same place for more than a few years, anyway, so any mentoring program ought to be on the community level (ASME, IEEE, similar local chapters).

Cathy Biber

Biber Thermal Design

http://www.biberthermal.com

 

[electricpete]

cb - I was not aware that the PE required anything like project management work. I thought it was a simple matter of the required number of years of "engineering experience". I remember they were looking for action words "designed", "analysed" etc. Don't remember anything about "coordinated", "managed" etc.

Also, if you can pass the wickets, PE licensing is worthwhile even for exempt engineers, IMHO. Relatively small effort for relatively big addition to your resume.

leanne - The idea of assigned mentors doesn't make sense to me. People pick up mentors where they can, usually at work. As far as guiding someone through the application process... it's all there on the websites and usually there is a phone number to call for questions. As far as references... maybe there is some need but I don't like the idea personally.

It was difficult when I did it... why shouldn't it be difficult for everyone else ;-) Maybe sounds harsh but things that are worthwhile aren't supposed to be easy, are they? I tell you one thing that scares me:
- PE exam waivered in some jurisdictions.
- All work-related references come from non-PE's who have nothing at stake with the board... could even be "trading" references with each other.
- PE is assigned as big brother, meets you a few times or whatever and signs your reference.
Man, that is scary.

 

[Binary]

electricpete:

You bring up something I've wondered about: What exactly is the responsibility of a PE who provides a reference for a candidate? If the candidate ends up being a bust and hurts somebody, are the references liable? Are they investigated to ensure the veracity of their references?