Engineering Council
Information for course providers and employers
Imparting industry relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours to your students, apprentices or employees through high quality provision is crucial to ensuring your reputation and success.
The Engineering Council works closely with universities, education providers, awarding organisations and employers to ensure that their degrees and programmes are recognised as meeting the standards of knowledge and/or competence and commitment set out by the profession. This ensures that those who study and train under recognised engineering programmes gain industry-relevant skills and knowledge.
Information for universities and degree providers ↓
Information for apprenticeship and programme providers ↓
Why is course recognition important?
Recognised programmes listed on the course search have been either accredited or approved by a professional engineering institution (PEIs) on the behalf of the Engineering Council. Recognition confirms that a programme:
- meets the standards set by the engineering profession
- fully or partially delivers the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills and/or some of the competence required for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng), Engineering Technician (EngTech) or Information and Communications Technology Technician (ICTTech).
What does recognition mean for my students/apprentices/employees?
Individuals choosing a degree or an apprenticeship that is recognised by the Engineering Council through the accreditation or approval process have the assurance of knowing that they are on a structured pathway leading to professional registration.
- Holding a recognised degree or apprenticeship provides evidence that the individual meets the standards set by the profession.
- Approved or accredited status is a valuable marketing advantage to you as a learning provider, as it makes your qualifications and programmes more appealing. For knowledge based approved qualifications, demonstration of the required standard of competence and commitment is also required for professional registration.
- Holding a recognised qualification or apprenticeship makes the professional registration process more straightforward.
Recognised University Degrees
Recognised engineering degrees and HE programmes offer students, their parents and advisors, and employers an important mark of assurance that the programme meets the Engineering Council’s high standards set out in the Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) handbook.
Engineering employers and academics are involved in setting the standards, reviewing degrees and deciding whether to award accredited degree status. Therefore, employers have a strong voice in deciding that an accredited degree programme provides a student with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills to support their application for eventual professional registration. Once graduates have gained the relevant work experience, the process of seeking professional registration.
Resources available to support degree providers include:
- The Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP) handbook, which sets out learning outcomes and other requirements for achieving accredited degree programme status
- An ‘Engineering Council Accredited Degree’ logo available in English and Welsh to highlight the accredited status of your degree programmes
- A leaflet explaining the value of accredited status
- Examples of innovative programmes that have secured accredited status
- A leaflet for your students about achieving professional engineer status
- A leaflet about professional registration for teachers and lecturers
- In collaboration with Vitae, material to help researchers make the links between their development as a researcher and achieving CEng status
- Information and a policy on compensation and condonement
- In collaboration with the HEA, make the links between achieving professional teaching and professional engineer status
- A periodic free electronic HE Bulletin, available to anyone in HE
How to get your degree programme accredited:
If you are new to accreditation please contact either the Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB) Secretariat or a PEIs relevant to your subject for advice before completing any submission documentation.
Recognised apprenticeship, qualification and programme providers
The Engineering Council licenses PEIs to approve or accredit programmes, including qualifications and apprenticeships, that meet the required standards. This is done through an independent peer review process which can lead to these non-degree qualifications and apprenticeships being recognised by the Engineering Council. The Approval and Accreditation of Qualifications and Apprenticeships (AAQA) standard underpins how programmes delivered in any country can become recognised by the Engineering Council through approval or accreditation.
Which programmes and qualifications are eligible for approval?
Qualifications or apprenticeships may focus on education (i.e. the underpinning knowledge and understanding) or the development of competence to meet the requirements for professional registration as EngTech, ICTTech or IEng, or on both education and competence.
The level of output required for approval
To be approved, a technician related qualification or apprenticeship must meet or exceed one or more of the following:
- Level 3 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) or the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in England and Northern Ireland
- Level 6 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
- Level 3 of the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales.
For IEng, to meet the requirements in full, the level of underpinning knowledge and understanding is higher (level 6 RQF or level 9 in Scotland).
Resources available to apprenticeships and vocational qualifications providers include:
- The AAQA which sets out learning outcomes and other requirements for approval and accreditation of programmes delivered in any country.
- A 'Recognised Programme Logo' available in English and Welsh
- The UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) standard which ensures that engineering apprenticeship outcomes are aligned with the standards of professional competence and commitment
- The Information and Communications Technology Technician (ICTTech) Standard
How to get your qualification approved or accredited
Qualifications and apprenticeships can become recognised through the approval and accreditation process carried out by PEIs on behalf of the Engineering Council. This process focuses on outcomes rather than inputs and learning outcomes are set out in the AAQA. Focusing on outcomes means that a range of diverse and innovative provision can be approved, whilst still meeting the requirements for knowledge, understanding and skills that tomorrow’s engineers and technicians will need.
The approval or accreditation process looks at the overall design, coverage and assessment strategy and seeks evidence that satisfactory quality assurance arrangements are in place. This is central to ensuring that qualifications and apprenticeships meet the needs of individuals, their employers and society.
Contact us
If you have any queries related to programmes listed on the course search please email edskills@engc.org.uk.
Print this page