New Chartered Engineer accreditation for railway professionals

Rail engineers get on track for chartered status
New career route a recognition of their experience and expertise
By Timothy Goh, The Straits Times, 30 May 2015

RAIL engineers will now be able to work towards becoming chartered engineers, just like their peers in the fields of aerospace and chemical engineering.

The new career route was made possible yesterday when the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES), the Land Transport Authority, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and public transport operators SMRT and SBS Transit signed a memorandum of understanding.

Today, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding together with the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), Singapore...
Posted by Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Thursday, May 28, 2015

The move will enhance these engineers' employability and validate their experience and expertise, said IES.

Both operators have come up with a career track to help their engineers achieve this accreditation.

SMRT, which has 288 engineers and hopes to recruit 67 more, will offer them academic sponsorship to various institutes of education, in-house partnership with local universities and industry experts, industrial exchanges with partner companies as well as mentorship opportunities within the company, among other things.

SBS Transit yesterday also unveiled a new career development framework for its engineers as part of the accreditation scheme.

Engineers will be given broader training experience in people management, business management as well as safety and security leadership.

Non-degree holders will be given the opportunity to rise in rank to executive positions.

SBS Transit added that it will grant study leave and sponsor-related fees for its engineers.

While the time to complete the programme varies for engineers depending on their experience, both companies estimate it will take them four to five years to attain the accreditation.

Senior Minister of State (Transport and Finance) Josephine Teo said the move would help meet the increasing demand for engineering talent in Singapore.

"The maths is simple: the more extensive our rail network, the more rail engineers we need," she said, adding that the chartered engineer accreditation programme would raise the professional standing of rail engineers.

Mr Abdul Rashid Ahmad, 53, who joined SMRT 21 years ago, is pleased with the new scheme.

"Chartership will give us more recognition... I look forward to the opportunity to attain this accreditation," said the branch engineer.

SBS Transit rail engineer Christopher Hon, 27, said: "The structured framework and wide range of training and exposure would stand me in good stead as I work to progress to the senior management level."