REGULATING ACCESS TO ENGINEER S PROFESSION
REGULATING ACCESS TO ENGINEER S PROFESSION Education and Diploma Competences and Experience
Education and Diploma If basic education is based on Math Physic and Chimistry we may observe two distinctions Duration of studies 3, 4, 5 or even 6 years to obtain an engineer s diploma in most countries 2 levels exist, short and long cycle, but in France only 1 level 5 years mandatory for an engineer s diploma.
Education and Diploma Generalist versus specialised education In most countries engineers after a short period for basic sciences follow a very specialised cursus: mechanic, electricity/electronic, civil engineering, chimistry, In France engineers have a very strong education on basic sciences and a short specialised cursus; the name of the School is more important that the possible specialisation
Education and Diploma An attempt has been made to make the comparison possible between education from different countries : EURACE Two references are proposed Bachelor typicaly Bac + 3 (short cycle) Master typicaly Bac + 5 (long cycle)
Competences and Experience Three possibilities to have access to an engineer s responsability: The State which establish «orders» as in Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.. (Canada is a model) The Profession which run, under state control, «Professionnal Institutions» as in Great Britain, Ireland, etc No state or profession control but companies decision and responsability
Competences and Experience In England or in Italy, for exemple, you need to belong to a Professionnal Institution or to a Regional Order to sign official papers. But less than half of engineers are part of an Institution in England or of an Order in Italy. By comparison in France there is no regulation; an entreprise, under its responsability, is free to give a function of engineer and the authorisation to sign any paper.
Competences and Experience As a result an engineer to be recognised as an engineer in most european country must 1 give an equivalence of his diploma in the receiving country 2 be accepted in the Professionnal Institution or in the Local Order for which the diploma is necessary but not sufficient
French situation There are 800 000 engineers in France 95% are employed engineers compared to self employed 15 % are working abroad 1/3 of them expatriated by their company There is no lack of engineers but for certain periods for certain specialties. There is a low unemployment 6% but the time to find a job is unusualy long for young graduates
French situation In 2011 800 000 Master graduate engineers 33 000 new graduates per year (stable) 33 % of all disciplines Master graduates are engineers 23% retired 35% in industry 7% in BTP 27% in services (finance and public services excluded) 3% in finance and insurance 6% in national and regional public services
French situation There is no regulation for engineers when there are for doctors or attorneys. Main reason is that doctors or attorney are usualy alone under their own responsability in contact with public when engineers are usualy (95%) belonging to and under the responsability of a company
French situation The name «engineer» is free: anyone may write «engineer» on its business card whatever diploma or function. The title «ingénieur de l école XXX» is protected Each engineering cursus from school or university is controlled every 5 years by an official body CTI which accreditate this school to deliver the title of «ingénieur de l école XXX»
French situation All engineering educations, schools of engineering or universities, deliver an engineer title after 5 years with a Master degree. Less than 5 years is not considered as an engineer s education. From these 5 years 3 are devoted to basic sciences; 2 are devoted to specialty including a practical training in a company.
French situation Companies in France are totaly free to give an engineer responsability to anyone under their responsability. They are looking more to the delivering school than to the diploma (all french engineer s diplomas are Master). They are also looking to CV to juge experience. For someone with foreign diploma companies will juge upon diploma reputation and CV but will most probably not accept less than a Master
French situation On reverse the situation is complicated for french engineers to get an engineer s responsability in another european country unless for large multinational companies. Engineering schools are not always known even if our accreditating system is the oldest in Europe Our system based on 5 continuous years differs from many other countries (usualy 3+2) Our ranking based on the school reputation more than on the specialisation is also different.