The Engineering Council is a member of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA). The IEA is an umbrella organisation that oversees seven international agreements relating to the recognition of standards for the accreditation and approval of engineering education and professional engineering competence.
Education Accords
The Washington Accord
First signed in 1989, it recognises that professional engineering education programmes accredited by the signatories deliver outcomes that are substantially equivalent to the Washington Accord Graduate Attributes exemplar, which has been developed collaboratively by the signatories. In UK terms, the Accord recognises programmes accredited for Chartered Engineer registration.
The Sydney Accord
First signed in 2001, it recognises that engineering technologist education programmes accredited by the signatories deliver outcomes that are substantially equivalent to the Sydney Accord Graduate Attributes exemplar which has been developed collaboratively by the signatories. In UK terms, the Accord recognises programmes accredited for Incorporated Engineer registration.
The Dublin Accord
First signed in 2002, it recognises that the educational base for Engineering Technicians approved or accredited by the signatories delivers outcomes that are substantially equivalent to the Dublin Accord Graduate Attributes exemplar which has been developed collaboratively by the signatories. In UK terms, the Accord recognises programmes approved for Engineering Technician and ICT Technician registration.
Programmes recognised by an Accord have been accredited by the appropriate Accord signatory, based on national or territorial boundaries.
Competence Agreements
There are four agreements relating to competence standards for practising engineers. These aim to promote mobility by minimising the assessment required for a person who is recognised in one country as reaching the agreed international standard of competence when seeking registration in another signatory country.
The Engineering Council is a signatory to three of these agreements:
- The International Professional Engineers Agreement (signed in 2001)
- The International Engineering Technologists Agreement (signed in 2003)
- The Agreement for International Engineering Technicians (signed in 2016)
These agreements are the basis for the International Registers of Professional Engineers, Engineering Technologists and Engineering Technicians.
The fourth, and longest-standing, agreement is the APEC Engineer Agreement, whose members represent countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).