KIVIsie The versatile engineer Chartered Engineering is a well-known term among engineers worldwide but in the Netherlands, this 'Quality Mark for Top Engineers' is not so big yet.
In 2018, this quality mark, which has parallels with the BIG register for medics and registers for accountants, notaries and pharmacists, was launched by KIVI. Some 150 Chartered and Incorporated Engineers now exist in the Netherlands, but there may be many more.
Abroad, in engineering studies at a university, you first obtain a bachelor's degree, then a master's and eventually, after a number of years, you become a Chartered Engineer. For college engineers, the route is similar, but to Incorporated Engineer. The Netherlands only knows the route to bachelor or master, but that's as far as it goes. Surely this should and could be done differently. Things may be going well now, but with a quality mark like Chartered Engineering you can ultimately prevent and reduce technically dangerous situations in society. Think of better constructions of buildings or bridges, for which the Register of Structural Engineers has already been established in the past. KIVI is working closely with this to introduce with Chartered Engineering a register of top engineers for all other engineering disciplines as well. It also further improves the quality level of engineering and engineers, which is already high in the Netherlands. And it increases the value of the Dutch engineer in and for foreign countries.
England has had the Chartered Engineer for university engineers and the Incorporated Engineer for college engineers since the 1960s. First of all, to distinguish between engineers and mechanics who are both called engineers in English. The engineer is therefore given the term Chartered or Incorporated Engineer. Of course, this terminology issue does not arise in the Netherlands, so perhaps that is why there has never been a strong call to introduce Chartered Engineering here. In addition, the quality level of English universities differs considerably among themselves, while in the Netherlands it is almost the same. When you become a Chartered or Incorporated Engineer in England, everyone is measured against the same yardstick. So you all achieve the same level of quality and demonstrably maintain it throughout your career. The latter certainly offers added value for the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, you can become a Chartered or Incorporated Engineer through KIVI after about five years' work experience. You are then tested on five main competences: knowledge, skills, leadership, communication and commitment. If you pass this well, you will then be accountable every two years thereafter to be re-certified. This maintains high quality and also automatically encourages engineer development, both on hard and soft skills. Because Chartered and Incorporated Engineers are very good at connecting specialists with each other and thus have and maintain a good integral view on projects and products. You don't learn that on training. Chartered Engineering offers just that broadening, to rise above engineering alone and strengthen your soft skills to become a multidisciplinary engineer. A top engineer who adds value to society and continues to do so throughout his career.
dr.ir. Eelco Schrik CEng
KIVI Department of Chartered Engineering
