How Licensing Your Engineers Can Benefit Your Firm

By: PPI

September 21, 2020

Man in plaid shirt working on a computer at a desk with a monitor image

It’s no secret that licensure is important to engineers, but it’s becoming equally important for firms, too. More and more, engineering firms are figuring out that if they want to retain their top talent and attract new hires, they need to offer opportunities for their engineers to advance through licensure. One of the best ways for firms to support their engineers with licensure is by offering preparation for the FE, PE, and SE exams. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you think about helping your engineers obtain licensure.

Benefits of Licensing Your Engineers

Boost the Authority of Your Firm

Earning advanced licensure marks engineers as leaders in their field. The FE, PE, and SE licenses can be challenging and time-consuming to obtain. By pursuing them, your engineers demonstrate a true commitment to the profession. Your firm can put its best foot forward on RFPs and in presentations by showing that your engineers are committed to achieving licensure.

Protect Your Practice

Many states now have imposing civil penalties against unlicensed individuals for violating engineering state regulations. This could mean that your firm may be held responsible for violating these regulations, too. Get ahead of these potential penalties by putting a plan into action for licensing your engineers.

Increase Your Ability to Submit Plans

Only licensed engineers may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans to public authorities for approval. The more licensed engineers you have, the more resources you have available for these submissions.

Meet State Regulations

Your firm may need to obtain a Certificate of Authority (COA). 37 states require engineering firms to obtain a COA from the state engineering board. Obtaining a COA is dependant on employing qualified licensed engineers. If a responsible, licensed engineer leaves your firm, you must notify the state engineering board within a specified time. If most of your engineers are already licensed, you will be able to appoint a replacement quickly and avoid license forfeiture.

Retain and Recruit the Best Engineers

Between 2016 and 2024, an additional 130,300 engineers will be needed across all disciplines, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. With competition growing, firms need to start looking at ways to attract and retain engineers. Retaining your best employees and recruiting new engineers will become easier when you support them with their career goals.

Preparing for the PE exam? Test your skills with a free sample quiz. Choose your discipline: PE Civil, PE Electrical, or PE Mechanical.

What steps can my firm take to license engineers?

Licensing your engineers doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming. If your firm doesn’t have a lot of time or resources to devote to career development, it doesn’t mean that offering effective FE, PE, and SE exam support is out of the question. Something small that you can do right away is to pay the exam fees for engineers who are preparing for an exam or provide alternative schedules to allow for adequate study and prep time.

But if you really want to assist with quickly and efficiently licensing your engineers, consider making licensure training a part of your standard employee benefits. Offering this benefit is easier than you might think. The answer to providing your employees with high-quality, effective licensure training is to look into partnering with an engineering exam prep company that offers a one-stop-shop for all of these benefits at a price that’s affordable for your firm. This solution removes the stress of trying to figure out how to offer licensure support on your own and ensures that your employees are receiving time-tested and valuable prep for their exams.

PPI’s Corporate Training Solution Offers Low-Cost, Comprehensive Prep

PPI offers corporate training programs to give your unlicensed engineers access to prep courses and materials to make sure they are completely prepared for their FE, PE, or SE exam. Our corporate programs offer a passing guarantee, open access for one low fee, and hundreds of time-tested and proven exam prep materials from PPI and revered author, Michael R. Lindeburg, PE.

PPI can make it easy and affordable to offer exam prep resources to your team. Visit the corporate training section of our website to learn how to give your firm a competitive edge when recruiting new talent and retaining your best engineers.

Ready to ace the PE exam?

Enroll Now

Industry Insights

Everything About Structural Engineering

2024 PE Exam Pass Rates

Review the latest 2024 PE exam pass rates, including the easiest and most difficult PE disciplines by pass rate.

Engineering Resume Tips and Templates

Follow this checklist for what to put in your PE exam kit, and find out what you should leave at home.