STIC - Engineering:
Licensing
 Introduction
ACTIVITY: Lecture & Discussion
TIME: 30 minutes
LEARNING OUTCOME:
Participants will understand the relative advantages and disadvantages
to becoming a licensed engineer as well as the basic requirements.
DESCRIPTION:
- Explain to participants that, unlike many other regulated
professions, engineers do not need to be licensed in order to work
in the field in Ontario. If they are not licensed as a professional
engineer, however, a professional engineer must supervise their work.
- Engage participants in a discussion of the advantages
and disadvantages of attempting to gain a license. Answers may include:
Advantages
Greater employment, opportunities, Higher salary expectations, Prestige,
Allows self-employment.
Disadvantages
Costly, Time-consuming.
- Explain that for many foreign-trained engineers, a
license is an important asset in the job search. Because many
employers are wary of foreign qualifications, they look for
some indication that the applicant is qualified to work in Ontario.
A license gives them that guarantee.
- Describe the basic requirements for an engineering
license:
- At least 18 years of age.
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
- Good Character - You will be required to answer questions
and make a written declaration on
your application form, attesting to the absence of any past conduct
that would afford grounds for the belief that you will
not practice professional engineering with honesty and
integrity. In addition, PEO will solicit opinions about
your suitability for PEO membership from referees whose
names you provide.
- Assessment of Your Degree - There are two options:
- Your degree may be assessed as being from an accredited or
recognized institution.
- If your degree is conferred outside Canada and/or is not from
an accredited institution or one that is recognized by PEO, you
may be assigned a set of technical examinations to prove what
you know. PEO may grant an exemption from technical examinations
if you have an engineering degree that PEO believes to be equivalent
to one from an accredited Canadian engineering degree program
or you have completed postgraduate studies in a Canadian University,
in the same discipline as that of your foreign undergraduate engineering
degree; or you have an undergraduate engineering degree from an
institution in a country that has a Mutual Recognition Agreement
with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. These countries
are: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the
United States (after 1989), Hong Kong (1995), and South Africa
(1999) (Please note that to be recognized as equivalent, the degree
must have been granted during or after the year indicated after
the name of the country.).
- More information is available on line www.peo.on.ca
click Licensing & Registration then Educational Requirements.
- Professional Practice Examination - The Professional
Practice Examination is a three-hour, closed book exam on
ethics, professional practice, engineering law and liability. Note
that the PPE also acts as an English proficiency test as it requires
a high level of fluency.
- Four years of verifiable engineering experience, including
one year in Canada. The mandatory requirement for Canadian
experience ensures that you are conversant with Canadian engineering
codes, legislation, technical standards and regulations as they pertain
to engineering practice in your field.
- Your engineering experience will be assessed against
the following five criteria:
- application of theory;
- practical experience;
- management of engineering;
- communication skills;
- awareness of the social implications of engineering.
- If your academic qualifications satisfy PEO's licensing requirements,
all of your engineering experience gained from the date your engineering
degree was awarded is eligible for credit toward PEO's four-year experience
requirement. In addition, you will normally receive a one-year experience
credit for the successful completion of a postgraduate degree in engineering
in the same discipline as your undergraduate degree.
- Explain that many foreign-trained engineers have difficulty obtaining
their licence because they lack Canadian Engineering
experience, which is one of the requirements for licensing. Discuss
some strategies that will be helpful toward overcoming this difficulty - for
example:
- Getting an independent assessment of your degree, for use in proving
to employers that you have the qualifications;
- Mentoring;
- Becoming an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) through the
PEO means you have met the other criteria and are just
gaining work experience under the supervision of one or
more professional engineers. The EIT program is not a
job search or placement program. The Engineer in Training
is still responsible for finding employment and demonstrating
to the PEO that the experience that is gained is in compliance
with the standards set by the PEO. You can apply to become
an EIT if your academic qualifications have been assessed and you
have been assigned or completed technical exams. Benefits
of being recorded as an EIT with the PEO include:
- Access to the password-protected sections of the PEO website
for questions and answers of concern to PEO's engineering interns.
- Subscription to Engineer Mentor, PEO's on-line newsletter for
engineering interns, the association's official journal Engineering
Dimensions and The Link.
- On-line discussions with other engineering interns and with
professional engineers.
- Advice on reporting work experience and confidential work experience
reviews from the EIT manager. At your request, PEO will review
your experience upon changing jobs, upon completion of any temporary
work assignment and after obtaining your first six months of engineering
practice in Canada.
- Demonstrates that the applicant is serious about being licensed
as a professional enginee.
- Permits the applicant to participate in the CCPE and Ontario
Society of Professional Engineers sponsored insurance and financial
security programs and to access relevant counselling and mentoring.
- Getting an independent assessment of your degree, for use in proving
to employers that you have the qualifications:
- Apply to obtain a provisional licence.
On February 28, 2003 the Ontario government proclaimed
changes to the Professional Engineers Act to permit Professional
Engineers of Ontario to grant provisional licences. A
provisional licence may be issued to an applicant for
a professional engineer (P.Eng) licence who has satisfied
all of PEO's licensing requirements except for the minimum
12 months of verifiable and acceptable engineering experience
in a Canadian jurisdiction, under the supervision of
a professional engineer. More specifically, to qualify
for a provisional licence the applicant must:
- satisfy PEO's academic requirements for licensing.
- pass PEO's Professional Practice Examination.
- demonstrate to PEO's satisfaction at least 36 months of acceptable
and verifiable engineering experience outside Canada.
- The provisional licence is valid for 12 months from the date of
issue and the holder is entitled to practice professional engineering
only under the supervision of a professional engineer. The main
purpose of this licence is to address the concern that foreign-trained
engineers have reported encountering difficulty in finding employment
that enabled them to obtain the Canadian experience for licensing.
By issuing a provisional licence, PEO is affirming that the applicant
has satisfied the academic, the majority of engineering experience
and ethics requirements for licensing as a professional engineer
in Ontario.
 Downloads
All downloads are in Adobe Acrobat PDF.
Download a print version of the above lesson plan and related handouts
and overheads.
Licensing Introdcution
[105 KB, 5 pages]
Download the complete Facilitator's Guide and Participant's Workbook.
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