IESL PR Challenges Discussion

By PUBLICITY DIVISION (IESL)

A focused discussion on the challenges faced by candidates in the IESL Professional Review (PR) process was conducted as Event No. 1 of the IESL Vadakkin Chapter, with the participation of 23 members representing diverse disciplines and career paths. The session aimed to clarify grey areas in the PR guidelines, particularly for engineers with foreign experience, non-traditional career profiles, and limited access to design offices.

During the discussion, members raised practical issues such as the requirement for manual design calculations despite routine use of design software, partial recognition of foreign experience, constraints in obtaining structured design exposure, and the acceptability of work carried out under overseas Chartered Engineers. The expert panel provided clarifications on the use of software versus manual calculations, applicability of Section J 1.5 on foreign experience, eligibility of experience under UK and Australian Chartered Engineers, and pathways for mentorship and supervision under Annex G of the PR Guidelines.

The panel also reassured candidates working in domains such as geotechnical design, telecommunications maintenance, and defence-sector electrical engineering that their experience can be acceptable for PR, provided that their role, engineering judgement, and technical contributions are clearly demonstrated in their submissions. The event concluded with a strong message that IESL is open to continuous improvement of the PR process and encouraged candidates to proactively seek mentorship, maintain proper documentation, and engage with the Chapter for guidance on their journey toward Chartered Engineer status.