BECOMING AN APEC PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS

APEC REGISTER "Becoming an APEC Engineer of the Philippines may allow you to join overseas projects and practice your profession in APEC Engineer economies without having to undertake further examination or interview. In some cases, you may also be able to obtain discounted dual membership in both your APO and an equivalent engineering society or institution overseas. PTC has negotiated mutual understanding agreements with overseas organizations that provide reciprocal membership. PRC Eleven general areas of practice are currently available for registration as APEC Engineer: Agricultural Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Geodetic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

APEC ENGINEER An APEC Engineer is assessed in his/her own jurisdiction as a professional engineer eligible for independent practice, who has gained a minimum of seven years experience since graduation, and has spent at least two years in responsible charge of significant engineering work. An APEC Engineer has also maintained their continuing professional development at a satisfactory level. A person who is recognized as a professional engineer within an APEC economy, and who has satisfied an authorised body in that economy, operating in accordance with the criteria and procedures approved by the APEC Engineer Coordinating Committee.

CRITERIA & PROCEDURE FOR AECC: APEC ENGINEER Completed an accredited or recognised engineering program, or assessed recognised equivalent Been assessed within their own economy as eligible independent practice

 Gained a minimum of seven (7) years practical experience since graduation Spent at least two (2) years in responsible charge of significant engineering Maintained their continuing professional development at a satisfactory level. Bound by the codes of professional conduct established and enforced by their home jurisdiction by any other jurisdiction within they practice Held individually accountable for their actions, both through requirements imposed by the licensing or registering body in the jurisdictions in which they work and through legal processes Identified with one or more recognised engineering disciplines, selected from a list approved by the Coordinating Committee, within which that practitioner has been assessed as being eligible for independent practice by the Monitoring Committee holding the Register.

GRADUATE ENGINEER A person who has satisfactorily completed a higher education engineering program that is assessed as meeting required criteria in a discipline of engineering determined by a recognised professional engineering body or state authority

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER A general descriptor used to identify engineers with capabilities to undertake independent professional engineering practice, recognised by a national professional engineering body or state authority. APEC member economies have specific nomenclatures and requirements.

APEC ENGINEER COORDINATING COMMITTEE Ensures consistency in application of the agreed criteria, ultimate authority for conferring the title of APEC Engineer . Facilitate the maintenance and development of authoritative and reliable decentratlised Registers of APEC Engineers, and promote the acceptance of APEC Engineers in each participating economy as possessing technical and

professional competence that is substantially equivalent to that of professional engineers registered or license in that economy

PROCEDURES FOR COMPETENCY BASED ASSESSMENT OF PAEC ENGINEERS (PREREQUISITES)- To be eligible to apply for APEC Engineer, one must: be a holder of a baccalaureate degree from an engineering institution considered as Center of Excellence or Center of Development or its equivalent; be a holder of valid professional certificate of registration and/or professional identification card; have gained a minimum of seven years practical experience since graduation, at least two years of which have been in responsible charge of significant engineering work;

 maintain continuing professional development at a satisfactory level; be a bona fide member in good standing of the Accredited Professional Organization (APO) in your profession, which APO shall be a member of the Philippine Technological Council. Obligations of Persons Registering in APEC Engineering Register Persons who apply for registration in the APEC ENGINEER Register undertake to be bound by the Code of Ethics of his profession. All registrants are required to practice only within the limits of their competence and to maintain records of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for audit purposes. Registered engineers are obliged to undertake the required number of CPD during any three year period. He must also certify that he/she spent a total of at least one (1) year of independent practice during the last three years.

ANALYSIS: The APEC Engineers register has been operation since year 2000. The registered APEC Engineers for each economy at June 2011 or for the last ten (10) years has been slow. This number is small in comparison with the total profession engineers in the 21 economies. It is been smaller if it is compared with the total engineers including young engineers and professional engineers who are not licensed or certified to practice independently in their own economy. One of the criteria to qualify for APEC is having license International Engineers Register and certificate to practice independently. The mobility of licensed professional engineers is generally small in comparison with the total population of engineers. This is thru in the other economies. Many professional engineers do not register themselves thru the following reasons: No significant benefit to be registered No major difference for them before and after having certification Lack of engineers working in destination country and origin country No clear paths in using the ASEAN certification Lack of promotion in the register

Nevertheless, benchmark registers are necessary to facilitate mobility of engineers in promoting liberation of trade in service. The APEC Engineers Register should be promoted as the recognized register for bilateral or multilateral trade negotiations between APEC economies. Thus, representatives of APEC Engineer Registers should work with their respective government agencies in charge of trade negotiation to promote PEAC Engineers Registers. This will provide the impetus to expedite trade in engineering services. The benefits of APEC Engineers include: 1. Benchmark of achievement of professional engineers 2. Migration of the imbalance of demand an supply of engineers within countries in the region 3. Better use of technology and resources 4. Technology transfer 5. Common code of practice and standard for the regional national annex to suit each national need and affordability while maintaining the minimum standard of the regional for trade purposes. The way forward to achieve the full potential of the APEC Engineers on mobility of engineers is to integrate benchmarking and trade negation through public and private partnership together with the input [professional bodies such as institutions of engineers and licensing or certification board of engineers for practice. Trade in services includes plant and equipment , products including materials, engineering design and construction management such as Engineering procurement and construction management which is the build of the trade while engineering design is a small portion of the total trade in engineering services. This integrated engineering service wish classes under the World Trade Organization and covers engineering design service. Consequently trade in service should include engineering, technologist and technicians. Multilateral agreement in regional and international trade organization also encourages the use of bilateral agreement to expedite MRA in the trade regional to improve trade and services. The benchmarking register of APEC should be used as the MRA for the trade win within PEAC economic. The number of registered engineers in APEC is much higher that the EMF international Professional Engineers for he reason that involvement os APEC economic minsters in the EPEAC engineers.

In fact, the benchmarking of the APEC Engineers was promoted by APEC Human Resources Development Ministers in Manila in January 1996 urging the acceleration and expansion of mutual recognition of skills qualification to facilitate trade within the region. Trade within the 21 economies of APEC will of course complement the initiative of World Trade Organization in liberating world trade. Bear in mind that the code of practice and standard was well as quality of engineering plant and equipment achieve a minimum standard for cross-boarder trade. Nevertheless, the need and affordability within an economy could vary from the economies in the regions. Continues promotions of APEC engineering Register through various national, regional and international activities as well as harmonization of engineering education accords and register s are needed This will promote better use of resource in assessment of standards, monitor an review of accords and register.

REFERENCES: Choo K.B. (2012) , The ASEAN Engineering Community in 2015, 2nd Engineering Summit, Manila Philippines APEC Handbook 2003.PDF