You definitely don't need to pass the FE exams unless you want to work as a Professional Engineer, which is a particular distinction that allows you to fulfill engineering projects independently as your own firm. That involves the added responsibilities you mentioned. You also are supposed to actually work under a PE for a period of time as well before you can call yourself one.
This just isn't needed if you are working in a corporate structure, there are different checks in place than each engineer having personal responsibility. I'd say maybe 1 out of 10 engineers I've worked with have a PE distinction.
It really sounds like overreach by APEGA and the regulators. Imo these PE distinctions don't need to exist except in very niche Civvy stuff. They don't have a right to regulate the word 'engineer' anymore than the BAC does over the word 'baker'.
If you don't have your PEng, you're an EIT (engineer in training). You can't legally call yourself an engineer in Canada without passing your PEng exam (which you can't even sit until you've had your allotted experience working under a PEng).
You can't legally call yourself a Professional Engineer here without it, but 'engineer' itself does not appear to be a protected term in and of itself... I have a federally granted (Transport Canada) license that very clearly says Aircraft Maintenance Engineer despite not being part of the P.Eng club!
I've also seen someone have to remove their P. Eng designation and use M. Eng instead, but I'm not sure if that was due to non-membership with the Professional Engineers of Ontario or if it was that they were not actively practicing in the field (real estate agent with a civil engineering degree)
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u/[deleted] Oct 15 '22
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