Engineers Australia: How to get registered in the National Engineering Register

What is the National Engineering Register – NER?

The National Engineering Register (NER) is a searchable public database that lists qualified and highly recognised engineers who have demonstrated high levels of professionalism and competency in their areas of practice for a minimum of 5 years. The NER, which is run and managed by Engineers Australia, is the largest Australian register for engineers, providing a standard measure of professionalism across the country.

Before being approved for NER, Engineers Australia assesses the engineer based on verifiable parameters such as education qualifications, engineering competencies, work experience, ethical conduct and commitment, professional development and safety.

NOTES:
It is worth noting that NER is available both for engineers in Australia and those from overseas

Why should I seek registration in the NER as a Practising Engineer in Australia?

Being in the NER comes with a myriad of benefits including the following:

NER unlocks opportunities by exposing your certified profile to potential employers and recruiters, clients, marketers and other professionals.
With the professional recognition that comes with NER, you will gain the authority to practice independently in your field of practice.
Being in the NER is an important step towards becoming a chartered engineer
With NER, you can easily secure state registration as a professional engineer

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NER boosts your credibility as a practising engineer

Areas of practice covered by the National Engineering Register

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NER

NER has a limit to the areas of practice it covers. If you want to proceed with NER registration, confirm that your qualification falls under the following areas of practice.

Mechanical engineering
Electrical engineering
Civil Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Structural Engineering
Mechatronics Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Electronics Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Subsea Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Telecommunications Engineering

There are other areas of engineering practice covered by NER Australia; however, these areas are only applicable to chartered engineers who have completed Stage 2 – Competency Assessment with Engineers Australia. These include:

Building services engineering
Design and verification of pressure equipment
Oil and gas pipeline and petroleum engineering
Naval architecture
Subdivisional geotechnics
Leadership and management
Fire safety engineering
Heritage & conservation

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The provided lists of occupations may not be exhaustive, since EA could make changes or allow for some exceptions. If your engineering profession is not listed here, make sure to verify with EA.

Am I eligible for registration in the National Engineering Register

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NER?

To qualify to be registered in the NER in Australia, you need to meet at least one of the following requirements:

You are a chartered engineer, chartered engineering associate or chartered engineering technologist and a member of Engineers Australia
You are a member of EA with 5 or more years of engineering experience within a maximum of 7 years
You are a non-member of EA with 5 or more years of engineering experience within a maximum of 7 years, and has successfully completed Stage 1 Competency assessment

NOTES:
All applicants must have a valid Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance cover. They should also be able to demonstrate or prove that they can maintain the cover throughout their period of service in Australia.

The NER Direct Process: Which Documents do I Need to Submit to Engineers Australia during NER registration?

For a successful NER outcome, you need to prepare and compile high-quality documents in the format requested by EA.

Changes in NER Requirements

The new NER Direct Guidelines released by EA have outlined a few changes in the NER process. For instance, the names, format and content of the key NER documents have been changed. We have summarised the new changes in the Table below:

No.	Old NER Process	NER Direct Process	Changes\|Required
1	Work Experience Statement	Expanded CV (ECV)	Minimal\|Mandatory
2	Acquired Competence Worksheet	Self-Assessment Form (SAF)	Substantive\|Mandatory
3	CPD Record	CPD Record	None\|Recommended

Valid Experience Period

The reference experience period in the previous NER process was 7 years. However, this has been increased to 10 years under NER Direct process. This means you can refer to projects and achievements accomplished in the last 10 years.

Description of NER Direct Documents

Expanded CV (ECV) : This is a detailed account of your qualifications, engineering experience, projects accomplished and key achievements
Self-assessment Form (SAF): Provides a description of how you have met the selected competency elements.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) record: This is a list of training courses and other career development programs. NB: CPD is not mandatory under NER Direct.
Professional referee statement: Two referees are required to validate your claims and evidence.
PI Insurance cover: Confirm that you have a valid PI insurance cover. This is recommended but not mandatory when lodging your NER Direct application.

NER Direct Process flow chart
The flow chart below shows the NER Direct application process:

Statutory Declaration – Professional Referees

If for some reason you are unable to obtain referees, you will be required to provide a signed statutory declaration. The declaration is a detailed form with compulsory fields that must be filled by the applicant in accordance with the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act of 1959. The NER Statutory Declaration template can be downloaded from EA’s website

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The declaration should be made before a licenced or registered professional as specified in the above template.

Personal Information availed in the NER for Public Access

Once you successfully register with NER, you will be issued with an annual NER certificate that can be displayed. The following information will be accessible to the public from the NER database:

Your name and EA membership
Occupational category and the approved areas of practice
Australian Territory/State, for applicants residing in Australia
Postcode, City and Country for overseas applicants

NOTES:

You may choose other personal information to display on your NER profile, including but not limited to:

Email address
Phone number
Physical address.

Engineers Australia: How to get registered in the National Engineering Register – NER