Sydney Accord
Encyclopedia
The Sydney Accord is an international mutual recognition agreement
for qualifications in the fields of engineering technology.
It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies, and recommends that graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries be recognized by the other countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering technologist. The Sydney Accord was signed in 2001.
The scope of the Sydney Accord only covers the academic requirement for an engineering technologist qualification. Engineering technologist titles do not transfer directly between signatory countries, that don't have reciprocating agreements, because the signatory countries reserve the right to scrutinize foreign titles and compare them to their own licensing criteria. However, this does not mean the titles are not respected by employers within those signatory countries.
The engineering technologist may be hired within a country by an employer where a formal license is not required. The industrial exemption clause negates formal engineering registration within the United States for those who meet the criteria.
Foreign titles may be utilized as a foundation for recognition of professional licensing. The titles can be supplemented with additional experience and/or training to meet the local definition of formal registration. This serves to underline that a foreign technologist covered under the accord does not arrive in a fellow signatory country without merit. The Sydney Accord is therefore not a hollow agreement without advantages.
(CCTT) and the United Kingdom's Institution of Incorporated Engineers
(IIE) signed a reciprocating agreement of recognition for engineering technologist. In 2006, the IIE merged with the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) to form the Institution of Engineering and Technology
(IET). The CCTT also signed a reciprocating agreement with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies
(NICET). NICET is a United States organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE). The formal recognition of the CCTT as a common link between NICET and the IET has not been realized.
The Canadian signatory body is the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists
(CCTT). This is different from the Canadian signatory of the Washington Accord
, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
(CCPE).
In the case of all other Sydney Accord members, the same organisation has signed both the Sydney Accord and the Washington Accord.
applied for recognition with the Sydney Accord in 2007. The ABET/TAC accreditation was admitted as a provisional member of this accord. Despite this achievement the United States still has significant confusion in defining a unified technologist registration for professionals. Part of the reason for this is that the engineering technology profession is not well defined as a separate profession (distinct from professional engineering) in the United States. This is because the NSPE has opposed legal registration of technologist by the United States government through a licensing program. The loss of government oversight has led to competing ideologies from societies with different perspectives on what represents the qualities of a technologist.
(SME), and the Society of Broadcast Engineers
(SBE) are two organizations that have engineering technology and technician certifications that are respected and recognized but operate independently from the accord. In addition to these societies there are legitimate accreditations that are unacknowledged. They are the Distance Education and Training Council
(DETC), the National Association of Industrial Technology
(NAIT), the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
(ACCSCT), or other non-ABET/TAC institutions that are exclusively regionally accredited. It is unclear if these organizations or societies will eventually be represented by a formal avenue of recognition in the Sydney Accord.
if they belong to one of the organizations or societies that are not explicitly mentioned as a member of the accord. Individuals that graduate from a regionally-accredited technology program are likely to receive acceptance through professional engineering registration as an Incorporated Engineer.
U.S. professional registration is a state
concern. While the profession of engineering technologist is not specifically recognised, many states provide engineering technologists with a pathway towards Professional Engineer (PE) licensing that bypasses national engineering requirements. This is opposed by the national regulatory and representative bodies for professional engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). Notably, the Washington Accord does not apply to American PEs who have obtained this status through a technologist route.
Retrieved on Aug 29, 2006 from
NSPE (2006) NSPE Issue Brief: Engineering Technology, Publication #4049
Retrieved on Sept 4, 2006 from
ABET (2007) Community Matters: ABET to Host International Engineering Meetings
Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from
Accord
-Peace agreements:*Arab-Israeli conflict** Camp David Accords in the Egypt-Israel conflict** Oslo Accords , part of a peace process of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
for qualifications in the fields of engineering technology.
Definition and background
The Sydney Accord is an agreement between the bodies responsible for accrediting engineering technologist qualification programs in each of the signatory countries.It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies, and recommends that graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries be recognized by the other countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering technologist. The Sydney Accord was signed in 2001.
Scope
The Sydney Accord covers engineering technologist qualifications.The scope of the Sydney Accord only covers the academic requirement for an engineering technologist qualification. Engineering technologist titles do not transfer directly between signatory countries, that don't have reciprocating agreements, because the signatory countries reserve the right to scrutinize foreign titles and compare them to their own licensing criteria. However, this does not mean the titles are not respected by employers within those signatory countries.
The engineering technologist may be hired within a country by an employer where a formal license is not required. The industrial exemption clause negates formal engineering registration within the United States for those who meet the criteria.
Foreign titles may be utilized as a foundation for recognition of professional licensing. The titles can be supplemented with additional experience and/or training to meet the local definition of formal registration. This serves to underline that a foreign technologist covered under the accord does not arrive in a fellow signatory country without merit. The Sydney Accord is therefore not a hollow agreement without advantages.
Accord Enhancements
The Canadian Council of Technicians and TechnologistsCanadian Council of Technicians and Technologists
The Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists is an organization in Canada that advocates for the profession of technicians and technologists, as well as certifying their respective educational programs....
(CCTT) and the United Kingdom's Institution of Incorporated Engineers
Institution of Incorporated Engineers
The Institution of Incorporated Engineers was a multidisciplinary engineering institution in the United Kingdom. In 2006 it merged with the Institution of Electrical Engineers to form the Institution of Engineering and Technology . Before the merger the IIE had approximately 40,000 members...
(IIE) signed a reciprocating agreement of recognition for engineering technologist. In 2006, the IIE merged with the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) to form the Institution of Engineering and Technology
Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is a British professional body for those working in engineering and technology in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers , dating back to 1871, and the...
(IET). The CCTT also signed a reciprocating agreement with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies
National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies
The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies is an organization that was established in 1961 to create a recognized certification for engineering technicians and technologist within the United States....
(NICET). NICET is a United States organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers
The National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization in the United States. From their press releases:...
(NSPE). The formal recognition of the CCTT as a common link between NICET and the IET has not been realized.
Signatories
The signatory countries/territories of the Sydney Accord are- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
- Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
- New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(June 2007)
Canada
Canada has signed the Sydney Accord with the title of "Applied Science" and "Engineering Technologist".The Canadian signatory body is the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists
Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists
The Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists is an organization in Canada that advocates for the profession of technicians and technologists, as well as certifying their respective educational programs....
(CCTT). This is different from the Canadian signatory of the Washington Accord
Washington Accord
The Washington Accord is an international accreditation agreement for professional engineering academic degrees, between the bodies responsible for accreditation in its signatory countries...
, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
The Canadian Council of Professional Engineers , operating with the business name of Engineers Canada, is the national organization of the 12 provincial and territorial associations that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada...
(CCPE).
In the case of all other Sydney Accord members, the same organisation has signed both the Sydney Accord and the Washington Accord.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong originally signed the Sydney Accord with the title of "Science Technologist" and later abbreviated the title to "Technologist".United States
The United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
applied for recognition with the Sydney Accord in 2007. The ABET/TAC accreditation was admitted as a provisional member of this accord. Despite this achievement the United States still has significant confusion in defining a unified technologist registration for professionals. Part of the reason for this is that the engineering technology profession is not well defined as a separate profession (distinct from professional engineering) in the United States. This is because the NSPE has opposed legal registration of technologist by the United States government through a licensing program. The loss of government oversight has led to competing ideologies from societies with different perspectives on what represents the qualities of a technologist.
Confusion
Some legitimate societies and organizations that have established technology programs do not have clear representation in the accord. The Society of Manufacturing EngineersSociety of Manufacturing Engineers
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is a non-profit organization.-History of the Society:Founded in 1932 with 33 members, the organization was originally named The Society of Tool Engineers . A year later, it was renamed the American Society of Tool Engineers...
(SME), and the Society of Broadcast Engineers
Society of Broadcast Engineers
The Society of Broadcast Engineers or SBE is a professional organization for engineers in broadcast radio and television. The SBE also offers certification in various radio frequency and audio technology areas for its members.- History :...
(SBE) are two organizations that have engineering technology and technician certifications that are respected and recognized but operate independently from the accord. In addition to these societies there are legitimate accreditations that are unacknowledged. They are the Distance Education and Training Council
Distance Education and Training Council
The Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...
(DETC), the National Association of Industrial Technology
National Association of Industrial Technology
The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering was formerly known as the National Association of Industrial Technology . ATMAE sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification, and professional development for educators and industry professionals...
(NAIT), the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges is an organization in the United States that provides accreditation to non-university postsecondary colleges. Based in Arlington, Virginia, it is recognized by the United States Department of Education as a private, non-profit, independent...
(ACCSCT), or other non-ABET/TAC institutions that are exclusively regionally accredited. It is unclear if these organizations or societies will eventually be represented by a formal avenue of recognition in the Sydney Accord.
Registrations
As an international representative of the accord the UK offer a registration program for individuals from any country. However since the standards for technologist are higher in UK (B.Sc. and B.Eng. in Engineering) only 25 UK (emigrating) registrants up to this date applied for registration as "Technologist" indicating the failure of the Accord within UK. In the UK the term "engineer", "professional engineer" or "engineering" have no meaning in law so anyone can call themselves a professional engineer, or technologist without restrictions. However the Professional titles "Chartered Engineer" , "Incorporated Engineer" and "Engineering Technician" awarded by The Engineering Council (UK) are protected by law. United States' graduates may apply for a peer review by the Engineering Council UKEngineering Council UK
The Engineering Council is Britain's regulatory authority for registration of Chartered and Incorporated engineers and technicians, holding a register of these and providing advice to students, engineers, employers and academic institutions on the standards for registration and procedures for...
if they belong to one of the organizations or societies that are not explicitly mentioned as a member of the accord. Individuals that graduate from a regionally-accredited technology program are likely to receive acceptance through professional engineering registration as an Incorporated Engineer.
U.S. professional registration is a state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
concern. While the profession of engineering technologist is not specifically recognised, many states provide engineering technologists with a pathway towards Professional Engineer (PE) licensing that bypasses national engineering requirements. This is opposed by the national regulatory and representative bodies for professional engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). Notably, the Washington Accord does not apply to American PEs who have obtained this status through a technologist route.
External links
CCTT. (2006). National and International Mobility.Retrieved on Aug 29, 2006 from
- http://www.cctt.ca/template.asp?id=66BCF9F972D1468B9286F72D20549DE1
- ECUK - Sydney Accord
NSPE (2006) NSPE Issue Brief: Engineering Technology, Publication #4049
Retrieved on Sept 4, 2006 from
- https://www.nspe.org/govrel/gr2-4049.asp
ABET (2007) Community Matters: ABET to Host International Engineering Meetings
Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from
- http://www.abet.org/Linked%20Documents-UPDATE/Newsletters/07-02-CM.pdf
- http://www.ieagreements.com/Sydney/default.cfm