The historic mutual recognition agreement negotiated by the Engineering Council and the NCEES sits proudly at the heart of the new UK Trade Strategy as an example of how to stimulate growth without compromising professional standards.
The agreement, signed last August, streamlined the process for UK Chartered Engineers to be licensed in the US and for professional engineers in the US to achieve the Chartered Engineer title in the UK.
It brings together two of the key strands in our work to maintain confidence and trust in the UK engineering profession: driving growth and keeping people safe.
By reducing restrictions on cross-border services provision, the agreement encourages the growth of international trade in engineering services and supports key industries such as construction, automotive and aerospace. Through careful assessment of equivalence between UK and US regulatory systems, the agreement enables trade without any compromise in the professional standards that both countries depend on.
We’re already seeing a sharp rise in the number of International Professional Engineer (IntPE) applications, though the primary impact of the agreement will be measured by the growth unlocked in international trade. With the 27 States already signed up accounting for 62% of US GDP, if the remaining 23 States follow suit the potential increase in UK exports could be as much as £700-£999 million over five years.
This is precisely why the Engineering Council is committed to representing the UK engineering profession internationally, so we can remove barriers to trade and mobility while protecting the professional standards that underpin confidence and trust.
We are actively pursuing further agreements and look forward to playing our part in supporting the UK Government to drive responsible growth.