This decade-high figure that demonstrates the increasing importance of the recognition of professional excellence across the engineering profession.
Professional titles such as Fellow, Chartered Engineer, Associate Engineer, and Engineering Technician have been sought after to showcase an engineer's expertise.
Chartered Engineer is considered a gold standard of quality within the engineering industry and is a significant career milestone for any engineer, highly valued by employers.
Commenting on the news, Engineers Ireland Director General, Damien Owens, said: “This remarkable milestone highlights the continued importance of internationally recognised professional titles, and their role in career advancement.
“Registered professional titles provide peer-reviewed and international formal recognition of members’ professional competence, skills, experience and training. They offer a clear way for engineering professionals to signal their knowledge and expertise to employers, stakeholders, decision-makers and clients.
“A rigorous process is used to demonstrate an applicant’s qualification, experience, the projects they have worked on, and the impact they have had on their field. A professional title is an important seal of approval that an engineer has achieved a significant level of competency in his or her field.”
In Ireland, Engineers Ireland is the sole authority competent to award the title of Chartered Engineer. This mark of quality is critical in an industry integral to developing the infrastructure and economic growth needed to support Ireland’s future. Working within a myriad of industries from medical devices to digital technology and renewable energy, engineers are more in demand than ever, with an estimated 6,000 vacancies available across the sector this year.
Engineers Ireland recently launched new regulations and guidance documents, along with new supports and resources, are designed to assist engineers in achieving their professional goals, including testimonials, explainer videos, and discipline-specific competence documents.