If you are interested in applying for the title of Chartered Engineer - considered to be the gold standard of our profession - we have just commissioned a new series of three podcasts which will be of interest to you.
The podcasts, the first of which is downloadable here aims to provide tips and guidance to engineers about completing our Chartered Engineer application form and what to expect when called by Engineers Ireland for your follow-up interview.
The other two podcasts which will be released soon, reflect on the value of being a Chartered Engineer at both a personal level and in the workplace.
The podcasts all involve active Chartered Engineers speaking from their own experiences of completing our application process and undertaking the associated interview. They are now assess other engineers' applications to become a Chartered Engineer.
We are hugely grateful to Gearóid Fitzgerald, Philip Healy, Eimear Pepper and Laura Woodbyrne for their involvement in our series. (Short biographies of our four participants are below).
The first podcast (13 mins duration) has been released to coincide with the forthcoming 31 January 2020 deadline to apply to Engineers Ireland to become a Chartered Engineer. Please see this section of our website for more details. A second deadline is offered in June 2020.
Within the Republic of Ireland, Engineers Ireland is the sole authority to award this registered professional title which is internationally recognised. Under Irish law, certain engineering work is reserved for Chartered Engineers.
Quotations from our Podcast Series
“I would advise starting to work towards becoming a Chartered Engineer as early as you can by becoming familiar with the competences required and ensuring you are developing each one through your experience and training. This will ensure you develop the skills of a well-rounded engineer and puts you in a strong position when you are preparing your report and in your assessment interview.” Laura Woodbyrne, civil engineer and assessor/interviewer
“Attaining Chartered Status has given me the confidence in my skills as an engineer and demonstrates to colleagues, employers and customers that I am a competent and experienced professional.” Gearóid Fitzgerald, mechanical engineer, finalist 2017 Chartered Engineer of the Year
Other information
The Chartered Engineer title is granted by Engineers Ireland to professional engineers who, through a rigorous review process, have shown their ability to apply their professional competence in the workplace.
Our members seek to achieve the registered professional title of Chartered Engineer in order to:
- Achieve the badge of excellence of the profession
- Establish a seal of approval by their peers for their knowledge and competence
- Include their Chartered Title on tender documents
- Potential to increase their salary - Chartered Engineers continue to earn more than non-titled engineers
- Have their standard recognised internationally, providing a competitive advantage
- Set a career path milestone
The registered professional title of Chartered Engineer (CEng) is recognised internationally as the title to be used by professional engineers who are members of Engineers Ireland. It has the same status as the professional engineering titles used in other countries.
For example, in the US and Canada the title Professional Engineer (PE) is used, in Japan the title is Registered Engineer (RE), in Australia and New Zealand the title is Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng), while the UK uses the title as in Ireland which is CEng.
In relation to specific work reserved for Chartered Engineers, under Ireland’s Building Control Act 2007, Chartered Engineers are recognised as one of only three professional groups empowered to act as assigned certifiers. Therefore, the integrity and experience of Chartered Engineers as certifiers is integral to this process. Chartered Engineers also have specific powers in relation to Fire and Safety Certification and the construction of Childcare Facilities and Nursing Homes.
Biographies of the podcast participants
Gearóid Fitzgerald. From Glin, Co Limerick, he was awarded an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Limerick in 2006. Following his graduation, he joined Boston Scientific as a graduate engineer, before getting an opportunity to manage a start-up renewable energy company in 2007. He then went on to work in the energy management sector with Aramark as an energy consultant before becoming a business development engineer. He joined Irish Water in 2014 as an energy specialist and in 2015 he moved to his current role where he has responsibility for optimising the cost and consumption of the electricity consumed across over 7,000 water and wastewater sites. He was a finalist in our Chartered Engineer of the Year award in 2017.
Philip Healy. From Mallow, CoCork, Philip graduated from CIT (Cork Institute of Technology) with a degree in Chemical & Process Engineering in 1994. He started work as a chemical engineer in 1995 and for the majority of the time since then has worked as self-employed contractor, mainly for Irish and international consultancies based in Ireland. Most of his working career has been spent in Ireland, although he has worked on medium-term projects in England, Scotland and Lithuania. He has worked in the pharmaceutical, chemical, biochemical, beverage, and nuclear sectors. He has been a member of Engineers Ireland and the Institution of Chemical Engineers since he left college. He became a Chartered Engineer with Engineers Ireland in 2002 and has been an Engineers Ireland volunteer report reviewer and interviewer since 2012.
Eimear Pepper. She is responsible for technical aspects of aircraft lease negotiations and aircraft transitions project management within the technical asset management team of SMBC Aviation Capital. She has 17 years engineering experience, 14 of which are in the aviation industry. Pepper holds a degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and a MBA with Distinction both awarded by Trinity College Dublin. She achieved chartered engineering status in 2010 and is an active member of Engineers Ireland.
Laura Woodbyrne. A Chartered civil engineer with 12 years’ postgraduate experience in Ireland and the UK. Currently senior engineer with JB Barry in Dublin, having gained experience on various multidisciplinary highways schemes from inception through scheme assessment and during construction. Experience includes technical roles, as well as involvement in project management, design management, line management, resource allocation, divisional responsibilities and business development. Woodbyrne graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2007 with a Bachelor's in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Construction Project Management from Edinburgh Napier University.