IEM fully implements Enhanced Professional Interview

KOTA KINABALU: The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) has fully implemented the Enhanced Professional Interview (PI) with effect from July 1, 2018.

Yesterday, IEM Sabah conducted a Professional Engineers Interview Training and Certification Workshop here to train the interviewers/ assessors on the enhanced professional engineers interview process to certify them to conduct professional interview according to the “Outcome-Based Competence Assessment” which is an improved version of the existing professional engineers interview.

More than 20 senior engineers participated in the mandatory workshop conducted by IEM vice president Lee Boon Chong.

The revised professional engineers interview process gives an improved version of the existing professional engineers interview in that it assesses competency based on evidence and it uses marking rubrics to minimize subjectivity in assessment.

The enhanced process is closely referenced to UK Standards for professional engineering competency (UK-SPEC) for Chartered Engineers.

Using the competency profiles for professional engineers as the basis for assessment, the Enhanced PI measures the outcome of practical training and development for independent practice which is in line with the global move in engineering communities worldwide towards an outcome-based competence assessment for international recognition.

The main benefits of the Enhanced PI are as follows:

• It is a competence-based and evidence-based assessment; it will provide applicants with a more objective and more balanced assessment by minimising the subjective judgement of individuals.

• The revised application form in the enhanced PI will be equally friendly to all professional engineering practices rather than focus on engineering consultancy practices.

• The Training and Experience Report will have a prescribed format for PI applicants to provide the required evidence for specific competencies. This will allow them to put up a better report compared to the conventional version which does not provide specific guidance.

Lee (seated fourth from right) with the senior engineers who participated in the mandatory Professional Engineers Interview Training and Certification Workshop.