Licensed, Certified, Qualified

[BillConnerFASTC]

Being certificated - meaning having a certificate - is not the same as certified. Google "certified vs certificated" and you get a lot.

And throw registered into this - as building codes and much legislation refer to "registered design professional", not architect or engineer. There are quite a few steps and measures both before registering and while registered to maintain it, which is different from being licensed. Lets face it, any mope that can pass a driver's test gets a license. Not so easy for an architect or engineer to become and stay registered.

 

[church]

Being certificated - meaning having a certificate - is not the same as certified. Google "certified vs certificated" and you get a lot.

And throw registered into this - as building codes and much legislation refer to "registered design professional", not architect or engineer. There are quite a few steps and measures both before registering and while registered to maintain it, which is different from being licensed. Lets face it, any mope that can pass a driver's test gets a license. Not so easy for an architect or engineer to become and stay registered.

Reading this thread actually makes me grateful that here in Canada every province has legislation that makes it clear who is licenced to do the work when it comes to trades and professions. It is restrictive but it certainly clears up the confusion real fast - you either have the required licence or you don't. The provincial apprenticeship office issues the trade licences and the self governing professions issue professional licences all done with the backing of provincial legislation.

 

[ManowarKill]

Its a touchy subject over here too...Im doin this near 20 yrs n Id like to think I'm "qualified"...although I dont have any letters after my name to say so...plenty of bruises and scars though!

 

[museav]

museav does. IIRC, he obtains his licensure through the state of Washington though as his home state of Georgia doesn't offer it. My understanding is that it's not a widely offered licensure and depending on which industry you're in, it can mean a whole slew of different things to different people.

Generally correct other than the registration is in Oregon rather than Washington. Some people have apparently successfully lobbied for reciprocity in other states, however many/most states refuse to consider that if they do not offer a similar license.

FWIW, obtaining my PE involved A) an accredited Engineering degree (BSE or equivalent), B) passing the 8 hour EIT (now Fundamentals of Engineering) exam, C) a minimum of four years of documented relevant experience under the direct supervision of qualified parties (e.g. a registered Engineer) and D) passing an 8 hour licensing exam. Most states have similar requirements and also allow tradeoffs, for example less education or no EIT/FE may be able to be offset by additional relevant experience, but there are just about always some experience and licensing exam aspects involved.

Added: I should also note that maintaining a PE requires ongoing related continuing education. Last year I was audited and had to provide backing documentation for all related education claimed, if I could not have done so my license would have been suspended and I may have been fined. Some states require documentation of the associated continuing education every time a licensed professional renews their license.

The reality is that many licensed engineering and architecture professionals avoid offering actual "Engineering" or "Architectural" services unless it is required as not only are there related legal issues related to having to be registered where such services are offered or provided but there is also a significant potential associated liability. I believe this becomes more relevant as our industries try to develop 'standards' as that can then potentially create a legal obligation for related Engineers to apply such 'industry standard practices' regardless of the budget, Owner's wishes and so on or possibly be liable for not doing so.

 

[museav]

Its a touchy subject over here too...Im doin this near 20 yrs n Id like to think I'm "qualified"...although I dont have any letters after my name to say so...plenty of bruises and scars though!

I'm going on 30 years professionally, more than that if you count experience while still in school, and some of the most qualified people I've worked with over the years have no professional or industry certifications. I've also worked with licensed PEs, AIAs, ASIDs, etc. and industry certified professionals who may have been qualified in some areas but had no idea what they were doing when I worked with them. But actual professional licensing does typically imply some legal liability for the related work, something that may not exist otherwise.