A New Continuing Ed Management Program for Engineers

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff September 14, 2006

The Registered Continuing Education Providers Program (RCEPP) , launched on Aug. 1, provides a comprehensive registry of continuing education providers that have demonstrated adherence to high-quality, effective practices in professional education for engineers and surveyors.

While the website is currently accessible, it won’t be completely ready until sometime in October.

A joint effort between the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and the American Council of Engineering Companies , the program website is intended to make it easier for engineers to fulfill and track continuing professional competency (CPC) requirements.

“For the first time, there will be a one-stop online location for engineering and surveying continuing education,” explains NCEES executive director Betsy Browne. “Engineers and surveyors will be able to look up CPC requirements, search for registered providers, find educational activities on a master calendar, and manage their CPC activities.”

“The new educational management system is just what the industry needs,” said ACEC chairman Jeff Daggett, “so that for the first time individual engineers throughout the country can access one location to find all the educational programs they might need and have their records kept centrally should they so desire.”

Officials are quick to point out that the RCEPP is a complement to–not a substitute for–existing member board approval programs. Authority to approve CPC activity remains with the individual licensing boards, and licensees will continue to be ultimately responsible for the acceptability of CPC courses and activities.

The program will provide information for member boards to streamline the CPC auditing process. Licensing boards will have access to licensees’ records for professional development hours and detailed descriptions of education activity. Boards will also be able to view CPC requirements by jurisdiction and search the list of registered providers.

The online portal will also will feature a map of all states and territories with links to licensing and continuing education requirements; a master calendar of courses offered by registered providers including ACEC and ACEC member organizations; and record-keeping to track a subscriber’s courses and professional development hours. Records can be made accessible for state licensing board review.