Definition of Technical Engineer

As opposed to "Social Engineer"?

NO! Working in parallel to the Technician Engineer !

Lucano, we don't have such a denomination in the US. Is it used in Italy only?

Bill, PE

For a better understanding about this topic I think be better to post this link to you

all : http://www.theiet.org/forums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=18013&enterthread=y

Regards

Luciano

In the US, technician is skilled in technical work, and he may be called an engineer by the company for which he works, which doesn't make him an engineer under law.

Great Britain, as well as the US (don't know about other countries), use the term "engineer" to refer to a technical tradesman as in the 2nd definition given below.

Each state in the US has its own laws concerning qualifications to be an engineer as defined by the 1st definition given below. In SC, USA, one must graduate from an accredited college or university, work as an apprentice under a professional engineer for 4 years, and pass a professional engineering exam. Additionally, one must earn continuing engineering credits by law.

Who knows what "technical engineer" means out of the context in which the term was used????

From Random House Webster's Unabridged dictionary:

en·gi·neer, n.
1. a person trained and skilled in the design, construction, and use of engines or machines, or in any of various branches of engineering: a mechanical engineer; a civil engineer.
2. a person who operates or is in charge of an engine.
3. Also called locomotive engineer. Railroads. a person who operates or is in charge of a locomotive.
4. a member of an army, navy, or air force specially trained in engineering work.
5. a skillful manager: a political engineer.
–v.t.
6. to plan, construct, or manage as an engineer: He's engineered several big industrial projects.
7. to design or create using the techniques or methods of engineering: The motor has been engineered to run noiselessly.
8. to arrange, manage, or carry through by skillful or artful contrivance: He certainly engineered the election campaign beautifully.
[1350–1400; ENGINE + -EER; r. ME engin(e)our < AF engineor OF engigneor < ML ingeni!tor, equiv. to ingeni!(re) to design, devise (v. deriv. of ingenium; see ENGINE) + L -tor -TOR]

tech·ni·cal, adj.
1. belonging or pertaining to an art, science, or the like: technical skill.
2. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular art, science, profession, trade, etc.: technical details.
3. using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book: a technical report.
4. skilled in or familiar in a practical way with a particular art, trade, etc., as a person.
5. of, pertaining to, or showing technique.
6.
a. technically demanding or difficult: a technical violin sonata; a technical ski run.
b. designed or used for technically demanding sports or other activities: technical apparel.
7. pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences: a technical school.
8. so considered from a point of view in accordance with a stringent interpretation of the rules: a military engagement ending in a technical defeat.
9. concerned with or dwelling on technicalities: You're getting too technical for me.
10. noting a market in which prices are determined largely by supply and demand and other such internal factors rather than by general business, economic, or psychological factors that influence market activity: technical weakness or strength.
[1610–20; TECHNIC + -AL]

tech·ni·cian, n.
1. a person who is trained or skilled in the technicalities of a subject.
2. a person who is skilled in the technique of an art, as music or painting.
[1825–35; TECHNIC + -IAN; see -ICIAN]

Lucano,

Judging from the information in the link you provided you are referring to an Engineering Technician, which is job title here in the U.S.. As your link mentioned they are often times employed to do survey work. Engineering Technology is a very broad field, much as Engineering is. E.T.'s who do survey work often work for municipalities as an assistant to the chief civil engineers, working on roadways, gas, water, and sewer lines and so on. There is a position known as an Engineering Technologist, which is more closely related to engineering, or designer than technician but has all the capabilities of an Eng.Tech.

I am employed as a Mechanical Engineering Technician Level 3. My training was a combination of trade craft(manual and CNC machinist work, welding), design and drafting, mathematics(to low level calculus), computer programming, physics, electronics(analog and digital), technical writing and other stuff. Basically an Associate of Science degree, or a two year program.

I am currently in my 10th year building scientific instruments in close working relationships with engineering staff and scientists. As an M.E.T. I bridge the gap between a machinist and an engineer and sometimes between engineers and scientists. An engineer is not required to be skilled in machining to design something or do a FEA or some other voodoo. A machinist doesn't have to know why a part is designed the way it is. My position requires that I have a broader understanding of both fields, some capabilities in both fields, order to help bridge the gap between machinist and engineer.

Sometimes this is good because I have a lot of skill and knowledge, sometimes bad because some of those skills and knowledge are not at the level that a specialist might have. I am sometimes a "Jack of all Trades-Master of None". And sometimes I am MacGyver...sometimes I am just plain goofy...

Lucano,

I cannot speak for Italy or Britain, however in the US we have no such protection for the title of "Engineer". For many, it depends on recognition from their company. This recognition may be granted based upon education, experience, or both.

What Bill is referring to is correctly referred to as a Professional Engineer, which is a license obtained from one's own individual state in the US, usually in which one resides or works. Although there are some differences from state to state, most states require a minimum score on a nationally standardised exam, as well as a period of time practicing engineering, usually under another licensed PE. Generally, one does not need a PE to practice engineering in mining or manufacturing industries, however PE's ARE generally required in the construction industry and other industries concerned with public infrastructure (usually where Engineering work is performed for others and drawings and plans must be approved by a licensed engineer due to legal requirements). Generally, a Civil Engineer knows he/she must eventually earn their PE, while other specialties (EE, ME, ChemE, etc.,) do not, although they may be strongly encouraged to do so. For example, a ChemE developing designs for chemical plants must have them approved by a PE, while Manufacturing Engineers planning a layout for a production line have no such requirement.

Another de facto recognition of an Engineer is graduation from a University curriculum in any Engineering specialty which has been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology as an Engineering degree. Some universities also grant Technology or Engineering Technology degrees, but these are not generally accorded the same status. Most states now require an ABET Engineering degree to be considered as an applicant for the PE license.

Many employers also require an ABET Engineering degree to be considered an Engineer within their company. although Technologists may do exactly the same work, they often are paid substantially less! When I was hired immediately after graduating I expected to receive the title of Engineer from my employer, as I was graduating from an ABET Engineering degree program. Imagine my surprise when told that, not only would I not be receiving that title, instead I would be a "Technologist", but they would have to cut my pay, at least until I completed a series of Corporate Training courses to become an Engineer! Suspecting this was happening because of a bureaucratic oversight on the part of the local plant hiring me, I asked if they would submit my curriculum to corporate Human Relations for review to be considered an Engineer. It came back "Approved". Apparently, since my specialty did not appear on their Approved Engineering degrees list, they made an incorrect assumption. Fortunately, this error correction allow future students from my department to interview and get engineering jobs with this employer.

STL Engineer took the time to tell you everything. However, in this state anyway, to practice engineering as an engineering firm, someone in the firm must be a "professional engineer." If the firm does only electrical engineering, for example, at least one person must be a "professional engineer," hopefully as an electrical engineer if for no other reason than to mitigate liability issues. My PE registration/license permits me to practice "engineering" without any designation of the field.

The state of Georgia has two levels of professional registration for engineers, one being virtually an engineering technologist, and the other as has been described. Many ABET accredited schools have engineering technology programs in which the mathematics and physics courses aren't as rigorous, for example.

"What is meant for the denomination 'Technical Engineer' in terms of academic qualifications, professional experience and competiencies ?"

'Technical Engineer' and 'Technicial Engineer' are meaningless in US. To call yourself an "Engineer" in a professional sense requires that you have passed both written and oral examinations in the branch of Engineering specialization. Usually requires completion of BS in a specific discipline and the oral and written exams after acquiring several years of experience.

An Engineering Technician or simply a Technician is the graduate of a 2 year technical college with an Associate degree in a specific discipline.

"'Technical Engineer' and 'Technicial Engineer' are meaningless in US."

I suspect that had he correctly translated he would have asked about engineering technicians and not "Technical Engineer"

If you go to the link he supply I think you'll see that "The Technical Engineer", or Ingegnere Tecnico, is described much like an engineering technician, though I think the training in high school in Italy might be more like a vocational or trade school here. But maybe it is slightly training, I don't know.

Found some more stuff on this. I think the issue is that the Italian "perito industriale", or "industrial expert" is getting reclassified as "Ingegnere Tecnico". According to a translated wikipedia page the "perito industriale" sounds for all the world like and engineering tech. If you do a search on the phrase you can find it.

Luciano, as we say my neck of the woods," Freaketh not, Brother". Don't worry I don't think your government is trying to weaken, or dilute, your denomination of PEng. I think they are just trying to modernize the denomination of perito industriale

I have come across such positions available in some of the shipyards in Singapore. In my understanding,

People with engineering degree/diploma qualifications are appointed as trainee engineers or engineers directly based on their experience. These people are directly falling under Executive Category.

Whereas people who either do not have degree/diploma qualifications i.e. people with lower level of educational qualification or no educational qualification but started their career only with on-job training and gained practical experience & technical knowledge through their work with the shipyard over a period of time and promoted as technician/skilled worker (falling under worker category) are further promoted to a position called "Technical Engineer" which is less than or equal to a position of an engineer.

What I can see is, though the shipyard management rely on these technical engineers work-wise, the chances for them to play key roles in management decisions or further promotions to top management positions are rare as comapared to engineers (with qualification & experience). i.e. technical engineers are given a chance to represent an engineer in terms of work responsibility but not in terms of management responsibility.

In simple words, Engineers are with academic qualifications, professional experience and competencies whereas technical engineers are only with professional experience and competencies (not having academic qualifications)

This is what I understand personally (in Singapore context) but I am not sure whether my understanding is 100% correct in reality

hi guys i'm an electrotechnical engineer. this means i am an ebgineer in electrical technology. i hope this technical engineer thing is clear. but you need a master's degree to become an electrotechnical engineer

These technical terms a little far fetched when it comes to using them.

In London even the electricity meter readers are referred to as engineers. How bizzar is that?

A field service technician is field engineer and so on.

Garbage/trash collectors in some cities are known as "Sanitation Engineers". A janitor is often referred to as a "Maintenance Engineer".

A common joke is that a housewife (or househusband, these days) is called a "Domestic Engineer".

Why is it that the term "Engineer" is used to dignify or elevate the status of a more menial or undesirable job. Why not apply the term to other more desirable jobs as well?

How about making a Congressman into a "Legislative Engineer"? Judges could be "Judicial Engineers", and lawyers could be "Legal Technology Engineers".

Dentists could (perhaps should!) be "Tooth Technology Engineers", while Medical Doctors could be "Physiological Engineers". Surgeons then would be "Vivisectional Engineers".

Entrepreneurs could be "Auto-initiative Engineers" and financiers would be "Funds Allocation Engineers" and bank loan officers would be "Risk Approval Engineers".

Rock Stars would of course be "Harmonic Power Engineers", while Rap Artists would be "Synchro-talk Engineers".

Football players would be "Pigskin Projectile Engineers" and baseball players "Spheroid Relocation Engineers". However, Hockey players would become simply "Puck Engineers" while basketball players could be "Hoop-target Ballistics Engineers".

Why not make everyone in the world an Engineer? Wouldn't THAT be the great Equalizer? If everyone was an engineer, who could make fun of us?

You got bloody good suggestions - STL Engineer. Wonder what those law people would think by reading your comments here! I have to with a QA Engineer who's so bright, I virtually have to spoon feed him with technical terms 'cos anyone would understand the term/s long before he can.

By the way, would you mind telling me just STL is about?

STL is the three letter abbreviation for St. Louis, found on the caps of the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball team and on all luggage bound for St. Louis on the major airlines.

So I am an Engineer in St. Louis, that is all.

"Technician Engineer" is a term recognised in the UK, meaning a practical- and experienced-based qualification issued after appropriate assessment by many UK engineering institutions, and is acknowledged by the Engineering Council. An accredited individual is entitled to use the initials TEng after his/her name as an indication of technical competence and achievement.