Why PE Licensure is Important
This Wednesday, Kaw Valley Engineering celebrated Professional Engineers Day, which highlights the importance of professional licensure in the engineering industry. We’re so thankful to have Professional Engineers in multiple offices at Kaw Valley Engineering, from those who have decades of experience to those who recently attained their PE license.
Here, a few of our own Professional Engineers explain the importance and a few benefits of becoming a licensed PE.
Similar to other career fields, PE licensure shows that an individual is experienced in their field of work. There are a few benefits of becoming a licensed PE in the civil engineering industry, according to our engineers:
- Career: Having a PE license provides opportunities for advancement
- Education: You can continue your education throughout your career
- Challenges: You can take on challenges and develop effective solutions
Becoming a licensed PE provides individuals with additional advancement opportunities, especially in the civil engineering industry. Kate Mikhaylichenko, PE, Design Engineer in our Wichita office, attained her PE license this year.
“I think that I would encourage all engineers or at least all civil engineers to take PE,” she said. “I think it’s a very valuable thing to do for the engineer, especially we are in the civil engineering world, so I think it’s very valuable and it gives you a lot more opportunities.”
According to the National Society of Professional Engineers, to become a Professional Engineer, individuals need to earn a four-year degree, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, gain four years of engineering work experience and pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.
Being involved in professional societies that are focused on being a Professional Engineer allows engineers to learn about the profession. Professional Engineers also have added responsibility that comes with the license. Justin Owens, PE, Office Director of our Salina office, explains the importance of engineers in society.
“Engineers are the last in line,” Justin said. “Somebody has a problem, we’re the ones who’ve got to figure it out. There’s no one else that’s going to be able to do it. We’re kind of the last in line to figure that problem out. So it’s fun to be able to take on a challenge and come up with a solution and knowing that you can’t necessarily go to anybody else. It’s got to be up to you to figure that out.”
Justin also added that there is a constant challenge with being a Professional Engineer.
“What do I enjoy most about engineering and being a PE would be just the constant challenge and in order to be a good engineer, you got to want the challenge, you got to think outside the box and you got to be willing to explore lots of different options and have an open mind,” he said.
Earning and retaining a PE license is hard work, but can be rewarding for an engineer. Along with career opportunities and challenges for an individual, PE licensure can also earn the trust of clients and other professionals in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.
Overall, becoming a licensed Professional Engineer can be a benefit in the civil engineering industry. Licensure provides opportunities for career advancement, education and challenging yourself at work. We’re thankful to have multiple licensed PEs at Kaw Valley Engineering who advance, educate and challenge themselves every day.