Engineering Council

Considering a career in engineering? Like many other professions, such as medicine, law and accountancy, engineering offers you the opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism through being listed on a national register.

A career in engineering is one of the most rewarding that you could wish for. Engineering is vital to our everyday lives, affecting all kinds of things we often take for granted like transport, energy, health, food and running water. Without engineers we would have to get by without television, mobile phones, hairstyling products, the internet, etc. You can find out more about how engineers shape our world and the kind of work they do at This is Engineering. You could also try the Meet the future you quiz to see how your interests and skills could lead to a career in engineering.

There are many routes into an engineering career.  You could choose university, vocational qualifications or apprenticeships (which enable you to earn money while training. For information and careers resources, visit the Neon website; you might be interested in vocational and apprenticeship routes, studying engineering at university or reading examples of real engineers in different sectors, who took different routes. If you have just received your A-level results, you may find the Post A-Level Support Hub, put together by the Women's Engineering Society (WES), helpful.​                                                                                                                    

Whichever route you take, once you have the necessary qualifications and workplace experience you should apply to become professionally registered.  This might be as an Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng), Chartered Engineer (CEng) or ICT Technician (ICTTech). 

The value of professional registration

Achieving professional registration means that you can use the relevant letters after your name.  This is useful as it will prove to colleagues, employers and customers that you’ve achieved a high standard of engineering professionalism.  It will demonstrate that you have the necessary competence to fulfil your role as an engineer or technician and that you have the sort of work ethic that employers value. This means that professional registration could offer you improved career prospects, higher earning potential and greater influence at work.

How to choose which title is right for you

The professional title you apply for will depend on your qualifications, experience and role at the time of application. You can learn more about the options available on our professional registration webpages, which explain the typical roles and competence criteria for each title. You can also read through our case studies from a wide range of engineering fields. Many individuals start with one title and progress as their career develops.

Professional registration and why it’s worth knowing about now

Some vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and degree programmes give you a head start on the road to professional registration.

When applying, you should look for programmes or qualifications that have been recognised (accredited or approved) by a professional engineering institution. This means that the programme or course has the relevant learning outcomes required to count towards your application for professional registration.

You can use our course search database to check whether courses that you are interested in applying for - whether those are apprenticeships, degree courses or vocational qualifications - have been recognised:

• Accredited Course Search – check whether a specific qualification or programme has been recognised as meeting the education requirements for a given category of professional registration.

You can find more information at the links below: