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C&G Professional Recognition Awards

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Afternoon all,

I've come across, and not found much infomation on the net regarding C&Gs PRAs like LCGI, AfCGI, GCGI and MCGI.


Maybe someone could clear this up for me, but my interpritation of what these are or are supposed to be, is something for people with experience in engineering but without the formal achademic qualifications - awarding a particular award based upon experience which some how corresponds to the type of qualification someone in their job would typically have? So for example, having a GCGI is like having a bachelors degree?


Are such qualifications actually worth having? Are they recognised by industry, or is it more a "buy a title" type situation?


If someone could explain what exactly these really are (and not just marketed as), and what their really worth etc. Sadly C&Gs give very limited info on their site (as per usual).


Lee.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Hello.

    I am just annoyed that the IIE did not make a bigger issue of the Licenciate if you were an Incorporated Engineer. Now trying to communicate with CGLI as an overseas person is impossible. They only seem interested in you opening a franchise. I. do not know what they are playing at. I want to give them money if I can get a Licenciate but they are not very helpful. A CGLI Full Tech.Cert is meaningless here in the US. The IIE, IET and CGLI seem happy to take our money but get offended you actually expect a return on it!
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    A lot of times experienced professionals can earn up to 2/3 of their degree by APL.

    Some are 1 year away from their degree.
    https://www.uclan.ac.uk/study_here/apl.php

     

    APL – ACCREDITATION OF PRIOR LEARNING



     



    At UCLan, within the Credit Accumulation and Transfer scheme (CATS), it is possible for students to claim for modules to be awarded towards their course on the basis of previous academic, professional, vocational or experiential learning. In some circumstances, students may claim credit for their elective module, even though their previous learning is not directly related to their main area of study. This process is known as Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), and can be claimed in a number of ways.



    APL can be:



     



    • Certificated (APCL), which recognises the learning that has been achieved through a formal assessment, for which you have received an award/certificate. For example, this could be any previous higher education courses you’ve completed

    • Experiential (APEL), which is learning that has been achieved throughout work, study, and life. It’s important to note that this isn’t about experience, but the learning and knowledge that has been gained from it. This will be evidenced via a portfolio

  • Moshe/Larkland

    Thanks for highlighting these two universities , both drawn from the more vocational tradition , prior to 1992 known as Polytechnics. Transfer of credit between academic institutions (CATS or APCL in Moshe’s post) is probably quite well known, but the evaluation of “experiential” or “work-based learning” for academic credit (APEL in Moshe’s post) perhaps less so.

    There are actually quite a number of UK universities, who offer some academic credit up front and/or focus learning and assessment on workplace activities, rather than “lectures/library/lab/exam”.  Portsmouth University for example, worked closely with the UK Navy to recognise in-service training and use real projects as a medium for learning and assessment. A group of other universities worked with Engineering Council to develop “Gateways” programmes http://www.engineeringgateways.co.uk/engineering-gateways/Information-For/working-engineers.aspx . There are many other examples of work-based learning being used to develop engineers, such as this innovative high-intensity programme from Wolverhampton University http://courses.wlv.ac.uk/course.asp?code=MA001U31UVD     


    I considered a few years ago the possibility of undertaking a DProf at Middlesex University. It is not too far from where I live and also because of my experience/qualifications in the fields of Industrial Training and Human Resource Development (aka Work Based Learning). However, I decided not to pursue it, partly on the grounds of Return on Investment, since I didn’t envisage pursuing an academic career. A consideration for anyone undertaking an engineering programme may be accreditation https://www.engc.org.uk/acad .  I note that Middlesex has quite a limited current footprint in that area, only involving one of the smallest institutions with an accreditation license.  This isn’t necessarily a negative factor, but a prospective student looking to invest should exercise due diligence. There is a wide choice of universities, too many to list here.       

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Larkland, your comment that a person without a degree - but with good overall engineering experience - can achieve professional registration, seem to checkmate the need to get a degree from an accredited university, in the first place. Therefore getting a degree, for employment purposes, is an irrelevant requirement; and ultimately a saving of around £27K, plus books, drawing instruments, food, travel costs, and lodgings.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    I got timed out in the middle of adding more stuff. 


    I was going to add that whilst a higher engineering qualification will put a person onto a higher initial starting pay grade, compared to someone entering with a lower engineering qualification; eventually, after some 20 to 30 plus years in the same company, everyone will be earning at or around the same salary, at the top of the technical pay grade. That's because the employer(s) value experienced engineers equally, whatever their qualifications.


    So, in the long term, registered engineers will not be valued - in terms of pay award - any more than their non-registered colleagues in a technical role; and the only question that arises is whether achieving and retaining registration is worth the effort; other than people having the burning - for geeky or nerdy reasons - a desire to want the title?


    The only option to move onto a higher pay grade would be to switch or transfer to a management role; in which case registered status starts to pay dividends in terms of prestige and status.


    Oh dear, we seemed to have moved away from the main debate on the C&G awards. frown
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member

    Larkland Morley:

    In Canada, you cannot use the term Engineer officially




    It's a great country, but I wonder what engineering and technology products - commercial or domestic - do Canada export to the UK, or the world for that matter? What do we have in the UK that says 'made in Canada'?


    There could be some small island, somewhere in the world, that may have set the highest standards ever to practice as an engineer; even higher than Canada and UK put together. But their export market is Bananas.


    One possible reason for setting such high standards might be in the event an engineer makes an error - health and safety - which could result in the entire population being wiped out, as they're only say 300 people living there. But should the population of engineers in the UK need to concern themselves with the merits of registration, because one of us might be thinking of immigrating to that remote island?


    I sense there is an unbalanced obsession from some members with respect to UK registration, when comparing with standards set by other countries.


    I have no doubt in my mind that if the EC ever required registrants to demonstrate proof of having run the London marathon (as a 3 legged race) and climbed Mount Everest - at least to base camp - there will be some people who would strive to achieve it, just for the title of CEng or IEng; because they're simply geeky or nerdy and obsessive enough to do it. yessmiley


    From my perspective, if I were ever to immigrate to Canada and wished to practice as an engineer, I would simply take whatever exams that were required of me. Simple as that!

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Thanks for the info Moshe. I will contact them and see what they have on offer.