What is a Registered Engineering Associate (REA)?

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED BECOMING A REGISTERED ENGINEERING ASSOCIATE (REA)

A Registered Engineering Associate is an experienced senior engineering technician / technologist that has been acknowledged with REA which is an internationally recognised credential.

The New Zealand Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers (IRHACE) is one of the associations recognised under the Engineering Associations ACT 1961.

It is important to understand REA is not a membership of an organisation, but a credential recognising an individual technician or technologists training, experience, knowledge, positions of responsibility held and any appropriate qualifications, that if determined by the EARB Board to be acceptable can then allow that individual to be registered as a Registered Engineering Associate under the Engineering Associates ACT. Therefore, the REA credential carries weight and responsibility.

For an Individual, REA provides registration and standards for engineering technicians and technologists, it is a statutory mark of quality that is Internationally recognised and encourages continuous education and competency development.

For the Employer REA provides a time tested internationally recognised benchmark, establishes a hierarchy for management delegation levels for quality and cost control, reduces risk with greater control and accountability in your processes and matches tasks against personnel competency and experience. Additionally, REA fosters ethical standards within a business and industry and be valuable with developing career pathways, training goals and succession planning.

REA can also recognise prior learning for Immigrants moving to and working in New Zealand.

“The REA credential under pins an applicants confidence, competence and willingness to take on technical challenges. This has been recognised by multi national customers and helped me secure free lance refrigeration system commissioning contracts for some of the largest projects in the world”.

Joseph Poff, Technical Manager, Temperature Control Solutions Ltd.

Companies may want some senior staff to hold a credential that is part of an internal framework for a more robust delegated authority for sign off on certain types of equipment servicing or installation.

Many in our industry will have trade certificate or higher qualification, but there are some that for various reasons lack a formal qualification, but have worked in the industry, have knowledge, experience and have held positions of responsibility but do not have a qualification or credential to formally endorse this.

They could be an immigrant to New Zealand and are unsure if any qualification or training they have had overseas is recognised in New Zealand. In such cases if those individuals can prove they have appropriate training, experience and held a position of responsibility for the required time then REA might be attainable.

The REA credential could be of tangible value to our industry.

Applying to become REA is open to a technician who can meet the criteria. Being a member of IRHACE is encouraged but not a prerequisite.

I would encourage you to go to the EARB website for more information. Below is an extract from the website showing the criteria for Registration under the A, B and C designation. It is unlikely these days anyone would be considered under (A) but if you have an NZCE then (B) is an option.

I think however there would be a number of Technicians working in our industry that could look closely and potentially qualify under the (C) category.

Read the full article in the Industry Journal, April 2022 issue