Every engineer faces a situation where they realise experience is not all they need. It’s the acknowledgement that makes you fully realise what your profession is. A strong step towards that recognition is achieved by becoming a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) with Engineers Australia. The foundation of that path is the EA Stage 2 Competency Standards.

How do these standards affect report feedback?

The EA Stage 2 competence standards indicate how your submission will be assessed by the assessors. If anything in your report does not clearly demonstrate one of these competencies, reviewers will recommend changes.

Some common recommendations could be

●     Provide additional examples of leadership or teamwork.

●     Including information on how you maintained safety or sustainability in your work.

●     Describing the choice process in complex decisions.

●     Emphasising the results and the measurable impact of the project

Every comment made by an assessor is with the intention of telling you how you might better demonstrate your experience against these standards. You can write your report more quickly and with more purpose if you understand this connection

Writing an EA Stage 2 competence report to standard

Your EA Stage 2 competency report should be your story. It’s an account of what you have learned and accomplished as an engineer. Three simple things to keep in mind to make it work:

●     What you did: Identify your project in terms of the role you played, your responsibilities, and goals.

●     How you did it: Describe the techniques, tools, and procedures you employed.

●     How you improve it: ‘Demonstrate how your Interventions“enhance” the Project or add value to the output.

●     Always relate each of your project examples to one or more of the EA Stage 2 competency standards. 

Final​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Thoughts

A big milestone in the career of an engineer is definitely the achievement of Chartered Professional Engineer status. The EA Stage 2 competency standards serve as the roadmap for that journey, whereas the EA Stage 2 competency report is the tool that demonstrates your expertise, judgment, and development.

Your report will be significantly different from others if you align it with these standards. It not only helps you meet Engineers Australia's requirements, but it also positions you as an ethical, capable, and self-assured engineer who can advance your career.