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It is important to know the benefits of NER registration; it’s not just for passing the skills assessment, it’s for the future. These are benefits that an engineer needs to be aware of if they are considering moving to Australia or expanding their career here. Once a decision has been made to approve your CDR for use, many engineers fail to consider the next step, which is to apply to be eligible for the National Engineering Register (NER) by Engineers Australia. Although registration may seem like a routine process after months of developing evidence statements and career episodes, it can be a stressful time. However, many engineers miss out on putting in career value here. Passing the skills assessment is the first step to getting into the migration door, and the benefits of NER registration are the ones that ensure you are competitive once you are in the door, providing employers, clients, and government bodies an independent way to ensure that you’re not just qualified on paper but currently practicing at Engineers Australia’s expected level of practice.
The NER is a nationally available, publicly searchable database provided by Engineers Australia. It was founded in 2015, and its membership includes engineers, engineering technologists, and engineering associates from various disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, chemical, environmental, and others who have demonstrated their qualifications, skills, and conduct in accordance with Engineers Australia’s requirements for their qualifications. Unlike skills assessment, which is a one-off migration qualification, NER is a continuous qualification that tells employers, clients, and the government that you are competent today and not years ago.
If you are still completing your Competency Demonstration Report (CDR), you should consider reading this early on, and never think of them as two separate projects, as NER work experience statements are to be done with your CDR.
It’s good to know about the benefits of NER registration, but only if you know if you are eligible. Engineers Australia’s eligibility criteria include that you:
You don’t need to be an Engineers Australia member to apply. The NER application process consists of five steps: Registering an application account, completing an online self-assessment of the five competencies, getting your two referees’ input (chartered members, NER-registered engineers, or engineers with 5+ years’ postgraduate experience who have worked with you in the last 5 years), having an interview with an assessor, and receiving your results. You will also need to provide a detailed CV that details projects and accomplishments.
Assessment fees: $410 for members and $670 for non-members, with $130 (members) or $215 (non-members) for renewal every year. There is also an extra engineering space, which can be installed at another time for an extra $410. These are indicative numbers only and may vary with Engineers Australia’s fee schedules—please note, these are regularly reviewed, so please review the current pricing.
The benefits of NER registration that come as a result of it are credibility, income potential, and long-term career positioning, and we’ll begin with the quickest one.
A prospective employer, tender panel, or client will be confident that Engineers Australia has independently verified your qualifications because you are on the NER. The immediate advantage of registration is this third-party validation that filters the noise from the resume pile and gets the conversation to “let’s talk about the project.”
Can be added to registration, and a verified digital badge can be shared on LinkedIn. It’s a minor detail, but it makes the message you’re sending with your email signature, LinkedIn profile, and company bio consistent, without having to repeat your credentials over and over whenever you reach out to a contact or send an email.
It reduces the employers’ due diligence and is therefore preferred by employers, especially those working on government infrastructure contracts, who like to use NER-registered engineers. Having NER registration does not necessarily improve your pay, but it has the highest value in jobs where you have to sign off on designs, conduct regulated work, or are responsible for liability. Pre-verified also comes with the advantage of not taking as much time to establish the basics and more time to compete on what you’ve done in real-world projects.
It is logical that engineers wish to go on to become chartered engineers and that NER registration is a step towards that. The evidence required for both is comparable, meaning that if you’re considering becoming a CPEng, you may want to get started with the NER first.
In a few Australian states, it is a legal requirement for the engineer to be registered to practice (e.g., RPEQ in Queensland). NER registration provides the necessary steps to help you achieve—or get on the path to meeting—state-level requirements.
By joining the NER, you can meet other registered engineers in different industries, attend industry events and conferences, and connect with peers. This is often a great benefit to engineers who have just transplanted their skills and expertise to the region—a good means to an end to getting a toehold in the local engineering community, as opposed to building it.
Engineers Australia requires 150 hours every three (3) years, which will be audited every five (5) years. It is a continuous process, but it is one of the less obvious long-term advantages, and it is a way to keep skills fresh and also to have some sort of physical evidence of current and relevant expertise, especially in dynamic sectors like renewable energy or digital infrastructure.
Your credibility is not limited to your state or employer, as it is with the NER. One of the lesser-known benefits for engineers who expect a job transfer or change of residence: Your registration will follow you.
This is more an inference than a documented policy: being a sponsor of a visa route comes with a legitimate commitment of the employer, and there is a commitment of trust in the candidate. An NER listing provided by an independent verifier provides a vantage point for prospective sponsors to check for themselves, which can reduce the risk they associate with sponsoring you, although Engineers Australia is not publishing information relating NER status to sponsorship outcomes.
Further to the above, this is more of a forward-looking statement than a fact—more states and sectors are introducing registration schemes for safety-critical work in Australia. The NER’s competency areas—ethics, safety, risk management, and local knowledge—are very similar to the majority of state-based schemes, so that NER-registered engineers are less likely to have to start from scratch if new requirements are introduced in their state.
The benefits of NER registration are most worthwhile if you:
CDR australiaengineer specialises in high-quality CDR, RPL and VETASSESS reports for engineers. We offer low-cost, customized and reliable services in diverse engineering disciplines.
Whether applying for a better job, promotion, or total registration as a CPEng, your CDR and skills assessment open the door, and NER registration keeps it open. A straightforward approach to the permanent and public professional qualification from a one-off evaluation.
It is important to include the NER eligibility in your CDR, RPL, or skills assessment documents from the beginning and not later in the process. At CDR Australia Engineer, we provide a complimentary consultation to help you arrange your documentation for your current migration plans as well as the possibility of subsequent NER eligibility.
No, this is not compulsory in all states, but in some disciplines there are also separate schemes that are compulsory (see RPEQ in Queensland) that the NER can support.
Assessment fees are $410 for Engineers Australia membership members and $670 for non-members, with an annual membership fee of $130 or $215 per annum. For full details, please read the fees breakdown above.
There are no qualifications that are considered a passport to employment. It does, however, take one of the guesses out of the job for employers and, arguably, one of the most practical of the NER benefits for the job.
Yes, the register is open to engineers who are based in Australia or overseas with the qualifications and experience requirements.
It is not limited to career level; five years of the appropriate experience is required just as much. If engineers are approaching that level, most will determine that the benefits of the credibility and CPEng route are more than worthwhile, especially when applying for government or infrastructure positions.
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