Continued Professional Competence for IEEE's U.S. Members

(Approved by the IEEE-USA
Board of Directors, 19 June 2003)

IEEE-USA has always recognized the need for electrical, electronics and computer engineering practitioners to maintain their professional competence. Now, more than ever, life-long learning is imperative if individual practitioners are to keep up with changing technologies, ensure their continuing employability, advance their professional careers and meet applicable legal requirements.

To help IEEE's U.S. members maintain their professional competence, IEEE-USA:

• Offers continuing education programs and materials, including technical and career-related publications and conferences.
• Recommends that employers of engineers actively support and assist their employees to maintain their technical and professional proficiency.
• Encourages its members to embrace life-long learning by seeking challenging job assignments and actively participating in formal and informal education and training courses, home study and distance learning, mentoring programs, seminars and technical meetings.

Increasing numbers of state licensing boards also require supplementary education and evidence of continuing professional competence as prerequisites for licensure renewal. Others are considering the adoption of similar requirements. In order to facilitate mobility of licensed professionals from one jurisdiction to another, IEEE-USA encourages those state licensing boards to adopt uniform competency requirements throughout the United States and its territories.

This statement was developed by the IEEE-USA's Licensure and Registration Committee, and represents the considered judgment of a group of U.S. IEEE members with expertise in the subject field. IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., created in 1973 to promote the public good, while advancing the professional careers and public policy interests of the more than 235,000 electrical, electronics, computer and software engineers who are U.S. members of the IEEE.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.--United States of America
1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202
Washington, DC 20036-5104
Phone: 202-785-0017, Fax: 202-785-0835.

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Last Update:  23 June 2003
Staff Contact: Vin O'Neill, v.oneill@ieee.org