The Professional Engineers Board (PEB) should achieve a new level of exposure through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a prominent engineering agency in the United States.
The North Carolina board of the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveying (NCEES) struck an agreement with the local engineering board, providing another avenue for Bahamians in the profession to gain more experience on the global level. Chairman of the PEB Michael Moss said the new MoU will enable engineers in the country to further their expertise in a more convenient way.
"The North Carolina board recently amended its statute to allow applicants with foreign experience to be considered for licensure," Moss said. "This allowed the North Carolina board to consider the request from the Bahamas board. As a consequence, Bahamian engineers, through application to PEB, will be allowed to sit the NCEES licensure examination administered by the North Carolina board.
"This is the first time the North Carolina board has entered into this type of relationship and as such truly makes it an historical accomplishment."
The NCEES Professional Engineers exam is considered the international engineering yardstick for licensure and administers over 100,000 exams annually in all 50 states, four territories and six foreign countries. While The Bahamas initially didn't qualify based on the criteria, further inquiries led to an agreement being reached.
Chairman of the North Carolina division of the NCEES David Pond said establishing this MoU will greatly benefit Bahamian engineers in the short and long term.
"The North Carolina board is both privileged and proud to enter into this historic relationship with the Bahamas board," Pond said. "Engineering has become a global profession and this MoU is an indicator of that. The State of North Carolina looks forward to this newly-formed partnership and is excited about working with the Commonwealth of The Bahamas for many years to come."
This is another milestone in the local engineering sector, as the industry is constantly trying to increase its footprint in the country. In 2010, the Bahamas Society of Engineers (BSE) held its first conference that brought exposure to the sector as a whole. President of the BSE Robert Reiss is a strong advocate for more involvement of local engineers in projects in the country. The BSE has held a number of informative seminars over the past several years.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian