Benefits of Registration

Legal requirements

The Engineering Council of Namibia is entrusted with the statutory responsibility of ensuring that public interest, safety and health in the rendering of services by members of the engineering profession are promoted and safeguarded. It is a requirement of the Engineering Profession Act 18 of 1986 that engineering practitioners, practicing in disciplines defined in Part A and B of Schedule II of the Act shall be professionally registered.

To meet the requirements of the Act  all employers should ensure that their employees (Professional Engineers, Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians and their counterparts ‘in training’) are registered with the Council and that their registration is maintained and investors in developing and operating engineering infrastructure should ensure that service providers appointed for the purpose employ, or use the services of registered professionals to ensure the safety and sustainability of development.

  

The public is urged to seek assistance from ECN to connect with appropriately registered professionals when embarking on engineering projects.

Benefits for the country

The attributes required of registered professionals are designed to ensure that they:

  • Uphold the standards designed to protect the public in terms of safety and health
  • Develop sustainable solutions
  • Are mindful of protecting the environment on all projects in which they are involved
  • Use clients’ funds responsibly
  • Behave ethically

Appointing registered engineering professionals thus is not only a legal requirement, it also offers the country and the public confidence in the final engineering solutions delivered.

Users of engineering services are urged to ensure that their tenders call for, and their appointment of service providers include the use of registered professionals for all engineering development and projects.

Corporate benefits

The success of companies delivering engineering services and products

 is greatly enhanced when engineering professionals are employed. Employers can be assured of:

  • Professionalism – Registered professionals have developed the competence to solve problems, innovate, use their initiative and offer strategic direction in matters relating to engineering solutions. This is particularly important when management do not have an engineering background.
  • Increased business opportunities – The public and potential clients respond well to the fact that an organisation employs professionally registered personnel. When working with the public sector, which demands professional registration of service providers, more registered personnel mean that companies can take on more projects.
  • Compliance and protection – By appointing an appropriately registered professionals, the employer not only takes appropriate action in terms of safeguarding the public, but will also comply with statutory requirements. Any contravention of this requirement may expose an employer to criminal prosecution.
  • Insurability – Access to professional insurance (otherwise known as professional indemnity) is only available to organisations employing registered professionals. Having professional indemnity offers companies peace of mind, without which, in the case of even unintentional errors, they would be sued and could face bankruptcy.
  • Training capacity – Employing registered professionals offers capacity to supervise, mentor and train future graduates towards professional registration. This will allow companies to develop a pipeline of engineering professionals.

Employers are urged to ensure that their employees in any of the relevant engineering categories are registered with ECN and that they are supported to maintain their registration and competence. Employers are also urged to invest in the training and continuous development of graduates towards professional registration to ensure that they have a continuous stream of talent to contribute to the development of our economy.

Personal benefits

When registered, professionals can enjoy:

  • Improved marketability – More and more employers are seeking to employ registered professionals.
  • Use of Reserved Titles – The Act entitles professionals to use post-nominals describing their category of registration, such as Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng), Incorporated Engineer (Inc.Eng) and Engineering Technician (Eng.Tech). Using any of these titles, if not registered with the ECN, is a criminal offence under the Engineering Profession Act.
  • Peer Recognition – In recognition that they have met the minimum requirements expected of a professional.
  • Public Recognition – The professional recognition associated with ECN registration instills a sense of confidence in the mind of the public, since they can be assured that competence has been assessed by other professionals knowledgeable in the field.