Engineers Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Engineers Australia

Formation	1 August 1919 (1919-08-01)
Type	Professional Society
Location	Barton, Australian Capital Territory
Chief Executive Officer	Romilly Madew

Engineering House, the national office for Engineers Australia in Barton, Australian Capital Territory

Engineers Australia (EA) is a group for engineers in Australia. Its main goal is to help the science and practice of engineering grow. This helps the whole community. Engineers Australia is the official group that checks if engineering degrees are good enough in Australia. This is part of an international agreement called the Washington Accord. In 2022, Engineers Australia had 115,000 members. This included 31,000 students who were studying engineering.

How Engineers Australia Started

Engineers Australia began after World War I. People realized that engineers needed one big group to represent them, instead of many small ones. The first meeting of this new group happened in 1919. Professor William Warren from the University of Sydney became its first President. This group was first called the Institution of Engineers of Australia.

On May 1, 1926, the group became a company. Then, on March 10, 1938, King George the Sixth gave the group a special document called a Royal Charter. This made it an official, recognized body.

Today, the Institution of Engineers Australia is known as Engineers Australia (EA). Engineers Australia owns two smaller companies: Engineering Education Australia and EngInsure.

Joining Engineers Australia

Anyone working in engineering can join Engineers Australia. To get special titles like "Chartered Engineer," you need to be a member.

Types of Membership

Engineers Australia has different types of memberships:

• Student: This membership is free for students studying engineering.
• Graduate: For people who have finished an approved engineering degree.
• Member: Like a Graduate, but with at least three years of work experience in engineering.
• Fellow: Like a Member, but for those who are very well-known and respected in engineering.

Engineering Job Types

Engineers Australia also groups engineers by their job type:

• Professional Engineer: Someone with a 4-year engineering degree.
• Engineering Technologist: Someone with a 3-year engineering degree.
• Engineering Associate: Someone with a 2-year advanced diploma or associate engineering degree.
• Engineering Manager: For engineers from other countries whose degrees don't fit the other types.

Special Engineering Groups

Engineers Australia has special groups called Colleges. These groups focus on different types of engineering. Some examples are:

• Biomedical College
• Chemical College
• Civil College
• Electrical College
• Environmental College
• Mechanical College
• Structural College

Specialized Engineering Skills

Engineers can also get special recognition for specific areas of engineering. These are called "Chartered Areas of Practice." Some examples include:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Asset Management
• Building Services Engineering
• Construction Engineering
• Fire Safety Engineering
• Project Management
• Risk Engineering
• System Engineering

Membership for Non-Engineers

You don't have to be an engineer to join Engineers Australia:

• Affiliate: For people who are interested in engineering but don't have a formal engineering degree.
• Companion: Like an Affiliate, but for those who are very well-known and respected in fields related to engineering.

Special Titles and Awards

• Chartered: This is the highest technical title an engineer can get in Australia through Engineers Australia. It is recognized both in Australia and around the world.
• Honorary Fellow: This title is given to people who have done great things for Australia or for engineering. There can only be 200 Honorary Fellows at one time.

Famous Fellows

Many important engineers have been Fellows of Engineers Australia. Some of them include:

Helping Engineers from Other Countries

Engineers Australia helps engineers who come from other countries. They check their engineering skills and degrees. This helps these engineers to work in Australia.

How Engineers Australia is Run

Engineers Australia is led by a group called the Board. This Board makes important decisions. It sets the rules and plans for the group. The Board also makes sure the group is financially stable.

The patron of Engineers Australia is the Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley.

Engineering Rules in Australia

There isn't one single set of rules for all engineers across Australia. Different states and territories have their own rules. Many of these rules are for engineers working in building and construction.

Queensland is the only state with a full system for registering engineers. Engineers Australia helps check people who want to register as engineers in Queensland.

National Engineering Register (NER)

Engineers Australia created the National Engineering Register (NER). This is a public list of registered engineers. It helps people find engineers and know that they meet high standards. The NER helps make sure engineers across Australia follow the same professional standards.

The NER is a publicly searchable database. It lists professional engineers, engineering technologists, and engineering associates. To be on the NER, engineers must show:

• They have a recognized engineering degree.
• They have relevant work experience.
• They keep learning and updating their skills.
• They have professional insurance.
• They promise to follow ethical rules.

International Registers

Chartered members of Engineers Australia can also join international registers:

• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) register
• International Professional Engineers Agreement (IPEA) register

These registers allow engineers to work more easily in other countries.

Keeping Skills Up-to-Date

Engineers who are Chartered Members must keep learning and improving their skills. This is called Continuing Professional Development (CPD). They need to record at least 150 hours of learning activities every three years. This makes sure they stay current with new engineering knowledge.

Rules for Good Conduct

Engineers Australia has a Code of Ethics. This is a set of rules about how engineers should act professionally. If a member breaks these rules, Engineers Australia can take action. Chartered members and those on the registers must follow this Code of Ethics.

Helping the Environment

Engineers Australia believes in sustainable development. This means meeting today's needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Engineers Australia works to make sure engineering projects are good for the environment and for the future.

Complaints About Engineers

Engineers Australia has a process for handling complaints against its members. If someone has a complaint about a member's professional conduct, Engineers Australia can investigate. However, they can only investigate complaints against their own members. They cannot give legal advice or help with money disputes.

Sharing Ideas and Advice

Engineers Australia often shares its ideas and advice with the government. They do this by writing position statements and making submissions on new policies. They use the knowledge of their members to help shape important decisions about engineering.

Recognizing Engineering History

Historic Engineering Marker plaque

Engineers Australia has a program to recognize important historical engineering works. These are places or structures that show great engineering achievements from the past. They place a special plaque at these sites. This program started in 1984.

The awards for these sites are:

• Engineering Heritage Marker
• Engineering Heritage National Marker
• Engineering Heritage International Marker

As of November 2017, there were 222 registered sites.

Awards for Engineers

Engineers Australia has been giving out awards since 1919. Today, these are called the Engineers Australia Excellence Awards.

The Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal is the highest award from Engineers Australia. It is given each year to someone who has made a big difference in engineering in Australia.

The Professional Engineer of the Year award is given to an engineer who has done amazing work in the past year. Local branches of Engineers Australia choose the best engineers in their area. Then, a national committee chooses the national winner.

Images for kids

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  Engineers Australia logo