ASCE and Civil Engineering Certification have launched the Board-Certified Project Utility Engineer, or BC.PUE, certification.
The certification allows experienced project utility engineers to demonstrate their abilities to employers and the broader industry.
Lawrence Arcand, P.Eng, PE, BC.PUE, who led the development of the certification, said it “sets a new bar for the industry as a whole.”
Project utility engineering is still in its infancy. Making the BC.PUE certification available “gives us something to aim for with what we should know from a knowledge perspective, what kind of activities we work on, and what type of responsibilities we have when working on projects,” said Arcand, president and founder of 4Sight Utility Engineers.
The BC.PUE certification is available to those who have their P.E. license and at least 10 years of experience in project utility engineering. For engineers working in countries that do not offer a P.E. license or equivalent requirement, 15 total years of experience, with 13 in their specialty area of engineering, is required.
To receive the certification, applicants must have their applications reviewed by a board of industry professionals and pass an online exam.
Elevating project utility engineering
The process of creating the certification started with the development of a body of knowledge. Arcand and his team of subject matter experts divided the information into six domains, which are tested in the exam.
“Pulling that body of knowledge together gives someone who's trying to advance their career something to work towards or learn,” he said.
The body of knowledge covers a wide range of topics. Arcand noted that the material includes subjects such as project asset management, utility coordination, mapping and construction, and the application of relevant industry standards.
“Putting it together made us really sit back and think about what someone who does this type of work needs to know as their base knowledge,” he said.
Arcand sees the BC.PUE certification as a next step for the field following ASCE 38 and ASCE 75, which helped establish a clear professional direction for project utility engineers.
“(BC.PUE) is the next big thing that's happened to set the bar,” he said.
Shaping the future
BC.PUE is a new driver for project utility engineers looking to advance their careers.
“It's great that as a starting point, we can say we've obtained the certification, and that's nice from a personal career standpoint,” said Arcand.
On a broader scale, it demonstrates skill to clients and others in the field, helps students learn about the project utility engineering field, and gives them something to strive for, Arcand added.
But its impact goes further than the individual level; its establishment of a body of knowledge and the valuable standards it provides the field will help push project utility engineering forward.
“As more people are aware of it and recognize the value behind it, it will be requested and sought after and the overall value will continue to increase,” said Arcand.
And industry-wide acknowledgement of the BC.PUE certification’s value will “raise the bar in terms of how utilities are managed in our field and our profession,” he added.
“It will ultimately lead to better management of utilities, less cost overruns due to utilities, less schedule impacts due to utilities, and make the overall construction of civil infrastructure projects much more efficient,” he said.
Learn more about the BC.PUE certification.
Apply and secure the discounted rate running through Sept. 30.
