IPENZ

Discuss about the Engineering Professional Bodies.
 

The report would emphasize on the professional bodies and would provide adequate information on how to become the member and benefits of becoming a part of the association. These bodies are usually non-profit organizations, and the main focus is to attract pool of students and retain the professionals. Members, on one hand, enjoy the benefits of taking the membership and on another hand abide the code of ethics (Aguilar, 2006). The report would provide the details about the bodies in New Zealand and Australia. 

The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) is a professional body made for engineers. There are some categories for membership, where engineers from various disciplines and during any stage of their careers can join. Around 16,000 members are there who are either engineer or have a particular interest in engineering (Davis, 2008).  IPENZ helps in promoting engineering as a career, maintains the code of ethics, set standards, accredit engineering qualification thus making it effortless to find work overseas.

To start your pathway towards professional development IPENZ membership is the solution. There are different types of partisanship. One must know which membership is available according to the qualification and then can apply by filling the online application form. A qualification of the degree accredited by IPENZ or equally benchmarked will be required for applying. In the absence of qualification for a competence-based membership, a knowledge based assessment will be done. If a person qualifies in that, then he can apply for Graduate Member and commence your way to competency assessment, or one can apply for temporary access for a limited time.  One needs to be the resident of New Zealand for this.

The various type of membership is as follows (IPENZ professional membership, 2008):

Student Membership – It is open for that undergraduate who will be enrolled in IPENZ-accredited, undergraduate engineering qualification in New Zealand. The Student member will be upgraded to Provisional Graduate Membership after the completion of undergraduate studies. You can avail many benefits of entire Graduate Membership in this. It is free of charge.

Graduate Membership – It is for a person who holds the degree accredited by IPENZ or equally benchmarked with less than eight years of experience in engineering.  It brings professional development prospects and benefits as you go ahead in the engineering career. Affiliate Membership – If one does not have qualification but have interest in the field of engineering

Membership Types

Companion Membership – If you’ve attained a position of responsibility by interacting with the engineering profession but you are not a practicing engineer

Competence-based Membership – If you are engineering professional or engineering technician with minimum four to five years of experience then this type of partisanship will provide recognition to your competence. It provides the necessary tools, professional recognition, and support in achieving your career goals (Bessant, 2004).

Fellowship – It recognizes exceptional individual accomplishment.

IPENZ not only offers courses but also provides other services such as accreditation. If qualification of a person has not been awarded, IPENZ determines if the individual is qualified for immigration bonus points in the Long Term Skills Shortage List. One can also register in this professional body for career advancement.

• It will help in gaining practical insights into the future career with the help of events, site visits, and panel discussions.
• A wide range of engineers and employers from all disciplines will be part of your network by attending branch events. Many such events are free of cost.
• It also helps in boosting your CV by mentioning active Student member.
• A wide variety of skills can be learned by organizing events, contributing to the newsletter and by giving presentations and public speaking.
• Obtain encouragement and support in accessing online tools as you move towards competence-based class.
• Demonstrate the ongoing commitment to the development of your profession.
• Keep current with publications and monthly e-newsletter and become eligible for our awards and scholarships
• Sustainability through Engineering (Sustainability through engineering, 1994).
• Remuneration survey will give you a clear picture of the compensation trends in this profession. This makes sure that fair rewards are given in the industry (Elliott, 1966).
• Take part in activities
• Be acknowledged as a leader in the community
• IPENZ post-nominal display on the business card and email signature demonstrates the commitment to ethical practice.
• Take a position on the committee or board.

After receiving the complaint or inquiry, the disciplinary committee will hear the matter and come to a decision whether there are the basis for disciplining the Complainant (Diesfeld & Godbold, 2009).

• If there are no grounds, then the Institution must sack the complaint.
• If there are basis against the complainant, the Committee must make a decision whether and how to implement the Institution’s powers. One or more penalties will be imposed.

 (a) Member will be expelled from the membership

(b) Member can be suspended from the Membership for some period;

(c) Member can be suspended from the Membership untill the time Member has fulfilled the requirements for professional development as specified by the Committee; 

 (d) If the member is unable to complete the requirements for professional development by given date, then Member will be suspended for a period;

(e) Member pays a fine not beyond $5,0003

(f) Member can be reprimanded or admonished;

(g) Member must compensate costs and charges of the incident.

(h) After completion of committee proceedings, the order given against the member will be stated along with the nature of the breach in the official journal or as prescribed by the Committee.

• In the case of breach of Code of Ethics, the committee can impose penalties including expulsion (Aguilar, 2006). Once the complaint is received against the member the engineer is informed and response is asked by Complaints Research Officer. Adjudicator makes the decision which is forwarded to both the parties. The complaint is further considered by An investigating Committee who takes the decision after hearing. The penalties for the engineer are dogged by the Disciplinary Committee  and summary of decision is sent to both parties. If the parties are not satisfied then appeal can be made by either person.

If the code is breached by the member or chartered professional engineer, then anyone can bring the issue with IPENZ. There is a dedicated team which will respond to your concern to make sure that they will be dealt appropriately and professionally. One can contact the body and discuss the further proceedings.

The benefits are not only limited to the members. One can find the right type of engineer for the work to be done with our help either by e-mailing their concerns or calling on toll-free number. IPENZ offers search registers through which a person can search the right professional for their work. Nonetheless, the Futureintech program provides authentic information and helps in changing the perceptions of people about career prospects in technology, engineering, and science. It is funded by the government. Lastly, with the aid of code of ethics the rights of public as well as the member protected. Thus benefits exist for both the parties.

Benefits

Engineers Australia, well-known as IEAust is a professional body as well as nonprofit organization for the development of the engineering field in Australia. There are various courses available for students (Yates, 2000). A person can become the member depending on their qualification for a better career. The requirements for different grades are different. Therefore, one must check the Membership Application Checklist. Once the person meets the demands, then he/she can go to the website and can apply online by filling the application form and paying the fees.

• Affiliate or Companion: It is for those who are involved in Engineering, but they are not appropriate for the below-mentioned grades.
• A Grade of Student: As the name suggests it is for the students who are undertaking an Australian accredited course in engineering. The membership is free of cost.
• A Grade of Graduate: Those who have completed the Australia accredited engineering course or recognized tertiary qualification. The categories for graduates are: Professional Engineer, Engineering Associate, and Engineering Technologist
• A Grade of Member: One who holds a qualification and also has an experience can join in one of the categories.
• A Grade of Fellow: Practitioners who are recognized as leaders in the industry. Fellow membership categories consist of Fellow, Technologist Fellow, and Associate Fellow.
• A Grade of Honorary Fellow: The individual who has delivered prominent service to the engineering profession or is renowned in engineering, or is an eminent person whom the Council wishes to honor, because of his work (Primack, 2004). The number of Membership will be decided by the National Council.
• Chartered Status: The honor of Chartered Engineer in Australia is exclusive to Engineers Australia. They enjoy recognition from the government, the general public, and business.

There are various services available for the members such as OFX which gives foreign exchange service, Macquarie Bank, offers money management tools, learning and lifestyle benefits. Due to the availability of various services the membership is increasing day by day. There is a growth of 5.2% in membership during 2012 -2013

There is a wide array of advantages which a member can enjoy:

• Continuing professional development from the suite of engineering courses.
• Career services are available such as finding the first job. 
• Technical information and educational resources
• Networking events (Around 4000 events every year)
• International mobility as well as recognition
• Able to cope with challenges of Earthquake. (Grand challenges in earthquake engineering research, 2011)

Personal membership rewards from various partners as Macquarie Bank, American Express, OFX, AVIS and Budget, Qantas Club and Virgin Australia Lounge and SAI Global (Jackson, 2009)

• Exclusive industry prizes are:
  • Monthly magazine from Engineers Australia
  • access to innovative information as well as powerful research tools, at a significant discount on IEEE Enterprise subscriptions
  • be aware of what is coming so that one can plan future with membership discount on the ACIF Customised Forecasts Dashboard

Engineers Australia has a process for handling complaints against members and office bearers in detailed. Engineers Australia handles complaints against members by division 4 (Cascini, 2016). Engineers Australia cannot give legal advice against common law disputes or criminal matters. The measures that will be taken are expulsion, fine, admonition, reprimand, the task of specific professional development, suspension, the commitment to function professionally for a particular time under the command of an appropriate individual, deferral of certification on the applicable National Register managed by Engineers Australia until precise actions have been ended, removal of certification

A complaint will be considered if it relates to the member who engaged in unacceptable conduct or who has breached the Engineers Australia Code of Ethics and the Office Bearer Code of Conduct. Unacceptable conduct includes, although it is not limited to:

• a collapse to monitor one or more requirements ofEngineers Australia’s laws or Code of Ethics;
• a failure to sustain appropriate engineering standards determined by the Professional Conduct Committee;
• assurance for an indictable fault or another wrongdoing that is unfit according to the Professional Conduct Committee,
• behavior or exclusion that happens outside the engineering practice

If the person is dissatisfied with the behavior of a member, then that individual can try to resolve the concern by raising it to the concerned person. It is recommended that one keeps the record of the communication as well as the outcome. If the complaint is not resolved, then confirm with the help of telephone that whether the member is associated with Engineers Australia. If a person is a member then anyone can lodge a written complaint to the CEO of Professional Conduct clearly explaining the circumstances, and by providing all the necessary documentation along with supporting evidence. The complaint will be checked for documentation, and if CEO finds grievance genuine, then it will be recommended to Professional Conduct Committee where the decision will be made either on the basis of documents or after hearing which is conveyed to both the parties to maintain transparency (Cascini, 2016). There is no right of appeal. Members of the general public can file the complaint in a similar manner.

The general public can avail the benefits by participating in any of the events detailed on the website. These are a source for those who want to progress in an engineering career. Some of the events are free, but they also charge nominal fees for covering the refreshment and material cost. If you have missed the event then no need to worry. One can get details of the affair through free via video streaming. Further, the professional body instructs the members to act on the foundation of well-informed principles, be honest and truthful, and value the dignity of all individuals which is helpful both for general public as well as for the member.

Conclusion:

The above report clearly demonstrates that if you want to kick start your career, then one should become the member of such bodies. They not help the students but also the professionals. One develops a network, practical knowledge as well as communication skills. Further, the code of ethics laid down help you to work in a professional manner.

References

Aguilar, J. (2006). Developing an ethical code for engineers: The discursive approach. Science And Engineering Ethics, 12(2), 245-256.

Bessant, J. (2004). Professional credibility and public trust in those working with young people. Children Australia, 29(02), 5-13.

Cascini, G. (2016). Engineering Grand Challenges Demand for Trans-Disciplinary Design Science. Journal Of Integrated Design And Process Science, 19(4), 1-2.

Davis, M. (2008). Is Engineering a Profession Everywhere?. Philosophia, 37(2), 211-225.

Diesfeld, K. & Godbold, R. (2009). Disciplinary developments in New Zealand. International Journal Of Therapy And Rehabilitation, 16(10), 557-563.

Elliott, E. (1966). Remuneration survey. Electronics And Power, 12(9), 329. 

Grand challenges in earthquake engineering research. (2011). Washington, D.C.

IPENZ professional membership. (2008). Wellington, N.Z.

Jackson, S. (2009). Membership has its shareholder rewards. Journal Of Business Strategy,30(1), 53-55.

Primack, R. (2004). 2004 Honorary Fellow. BIOTROPICA, 36(4), 647.

Sustainability through engineering. (1994). Wellington [N.Z.].

Yates, A. (2000). Post-graduate courses in railway engineering. Barton, A.C.T.: The Institution of Engineers, Australia.