Becoming a Chartered Engineer means that your knowledge, skills and competence have been recognised by the standards determined by the Engineering Council, the regulatory body for the UK. These standards are set out in a document called UK-SPEC (4th edition). 

To become registered, you need to be a member of a professional engineering institution licensed by the Engineering Council or one of its professional affiliates. The Institute of Quarrying is an affiliated member of the Engineering Council. 

Professional registration provides the benchmark for the public, employers and their clients to have confidence and trust that registered engineers and technicians have achieved globally recognised professional standards.

Registration is recognition of an individual’s engineering competence and commitment.

Professional registration is an internationally recognised standard of competence. It underpins the systems and processes that ensure the current and future safeguarding of society by providing confidence that the individual possesses and maintains the knowledge, skills and commitment required to meet the engineering and technological needs of today.

Employers have the assurance of knowing that their employees have had their competence independently assessed, their credentials verified, and their commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) established.

• Enhance your career prospects and earning potential. 
• Demonstrate your level of skills and knowledge within the profession. 
• Demonstrate your commitment to professional standards and ethical practice. 
• Stand out from the crowd with internationally recognised letters after your name. 
• The opportunity to actively get involved with the wider engineering community.

Applicants will need to provide evidence of accomplishment in five areas:

Competence is defined as ‘a professional’s ability to carry out engineering tasks successfully and safely within their field of practice’. Registered engineering professionals must also demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to society, the environment and their profession.

Evidence of competence presented by individual applicants will vary according to their job role and work experience. The UK-SPEC (4th edition) provides examples to help applicants identify activities that might demonstrate the required competence and commitment for each area. These lists are not exhaustive and other types of evidence might be valid.

As an applicant, you will need to demonstrate an understanding of, and familiarity with, the key aspects of competence in all areas as a minimum requirement while demonstrating higher levels of competence in those areas which are critical to your role.

On application, you will be asked to indicate your specialism. IQ has contextualised the standards into a specialism for the industry:

Materials, Geotechnics, Quarrying and Mineral Extraction

One of your reviewers will be an expert in your declared specialisms, so it is important that you indicate your specialism in your application.

Yes. Depending on your qualifications and experience, you will be assessed as either: 

Engineering Technician (EngTech) 

Incorporated Engineer (IEng) 

Chartered Engineer (CEng) 

Engineering Technician (EngTech): to demonstrate the EngTech standard, applicants must be able to apply proven techniques and procedures to solve practical engineering problems and safe systems of work.

Incorporated Engineer (IEng): to demonstrate the IEng standard, applicants must be able to maintain and manage the application of current and developing technology, and may undertake engineering design, development, manufacture, construction and operation.

Chartered Engineer (CEng): to demonstrate the CEng standard, applicants must be able to develop solutions to engineering problems using new or existing technologies, through innovation, creativity and change. They may be accountable for complex systems with significant levels of risk.

Evidence of competence and commitment is the key requirement for registration and will determine at what level you can be registered. Work experience or other learning and professional development may enable individuals to progress from EngTech to IEng and from IEng to CEng, as their career develops.

If you are applying for CEng or IEng, please refer to the Gap analysis so that you can check your engineering competence against the criteria for your specialism(s) and see which one/s is/are relevant to your career.

Each individual case will be assessed on its own merits. Under the current membership rules, we would broadly consider that:

TMIQ could satisfy EngTech grade 

MIQ could satisfy IEng grade 

FIQ could satisfy CEng grade

IQ applicants for professional registration are required to submit a CPD record that shows a minimum of 30 hours of CPD per year for each of the two years prior to making an application. CPD is essential for maintaining and enhancing the required competence and commitment for professional registration as well as developing new skills.

CPD has several purposes: 

• To assure continuing competence in a current job. 
• To prepare for a different role. 
• To follow a longer-term career development plan. 
• To enhance professionalism in a wider context than a specific job role. 

To achieve registration, individuals have their competence and commitment independently and thoroughly assessed by their peers.

Once we have received your completed expression of interest form, you will be put in contact with a mentor who will assess your experience and qualifications and guide you as to the best route for you to take.

When your mentor advises that you are ready, you will make your application to the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) who will carry out the assessment.

On application you will need to provide:  

• Your current CV 
• Details of the qualifications you hold 
• Copies of your academic certificates 
• Confirmation of your IQ membership grade

The initial assessment determines if you have the underpinning knowledge to satisfy Engineering Council requirements.

Those that meet the requirements can proceed to a professional review known as the standard route. The standard route consists of:

• The submission of a Portfolio of Evidence 
• Attendance at a Professional Review interview

Your Portfolio of Evidence is assessed in conjunction with your interview performance to determine whether or not you meet the required level of competence for professional registration.

Applicants whose qualifications do not satisfy the underpinning knowledge benchmark may still be able to progress their application through other options. This is known as the individual route and will be explained in more detail with the initial assessment outcome. Applicants will need to complete the requirements set out in order to attend the professional review interview.

Options under the individual route include the submission of a further learning report; a technical report; work-based learning approved by CIHT and/or a gaining an approved formal qualification through further study.

The professional review of CIHT applications takes place twice a year and they will advise candidates when their panel interview will take place. Candidates are advised by email of outcomes approximately 6 weeks after submission deadline and/or the interview.

Please refer to the CIHT website for further information regarding fees. Fees for professional review will be made as part of your online submission through the MyCIHT website. All other fees can be paid online via your MyCIHT account or by telephone.

You will need to remain an IQ member and pay an annual registration fee to the Engineering Council through CIHT. The initial registration and annual registration fees can be found on the Engineering Council’s website. You will also need to continue undertaking and recording your CPD as this will be periodically audited.

The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) is a professional membership body and an affiliate member of the engineering Council. This enables us to work with CIHT, a licensed professional institution with the Engineering Council, which enables us to provide a route to chartership for IQ members.

On receipt of your ‘expression of interest’ form, you will be allocated a mentor to discuss your case. The mentor will help guide and prepare you to submit your application to CIHT and ultimately, the professional review interview. There is also plenty of information and guidance on the CIHT and Engineering Council websites.

Go to quarrying.org/chartership for further detailed FAQ’s and to complete the expression of interest form.

Engineering Council UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment UK -SPEC 4th Edition: https://www.engc.org.uk/media/3417/uk-spec-fourth-edition.pdf

Pocket Guide to Professional Registration: https://www.engc.org.uk/media/3784/pocket-guide-to-professional-registration-2021-22.pdf

Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT): https://www.ciht.org.uk/professional-development/get-qualified/chartered-engineer/

Further benefits for individuals can be found at: www.engc.org.uk/benefits and 

for employers at: www.engc.org.uk/informationfor/employers