Ignore this one-Eng-tips won't let me delete it

[Ron247]

I just got through fulfilling my CEUs for 2025 which made me look back at the entire concept and architecture of the CEU system. The 2 major positives of them are that it keeps all of us up to speed on changes/innovations and it provides a system where we have a needed formal educational process beyond college. The thing that stood out to me about the current methodology is that IMO, it’s a better system when I am a mid-range (age-wise) registered engineer than when I am an old geezer or fresh out of college with no registration.

I just wanted to hear others’ opinions on this. The diversity of Eng-tips should provide some good insight. The following has more to do with me, than others.

I most needed CEUs fresh out of college, but since I was not registered, there are no requirements to get them. On the other hand, ever since I got over 65 and glued my left turn signal into the “On” position as required by AARP, the CEUs are difficult to find that could really help me. Everything is either too basic, unrelated to what I do or something I just go through the motions on to meet a “requirement”.

From this point forward, I am talking as a structural engineer although the concepts apply to all of us who need CEUs in any field. In Civil, structures is one of 6 subsets of specialties that a 4-year degree does not completely encompass. I can easily think of 10 courses I could have used right out of college but were not part of the normal 4-year curriculum. Some are SE related, some are just general business related. The following are examples:

• Cold-formed steel design: I needed this on day 1 of my first job and the employer taught me over time
• Masonry-I needed this as soon as I went from Job 1 to Job 2. Learned on my own
• Light gauge steel framing; kissing cousin of cold-formed; needed on Job 2
• Building Code-Needed on Day 1 of first job
• Stiffness and FE Programs; got them with a Masters
• Problem Solving & Goal Achievement; created my own method eventually
• Working in Groups; still learning on this one
• Transitioning from Technical to Practical; still learning on this one

Looking back, I wish I could have used the old “Lay-Away” plan from the 60s. I wish I could have paid for really meaningful courses I needed when I was not registered BUT WORKING UNDER A PE, and then been allowed to ‘carry them forward” once I got over 60. I would have wanted to Lay-Away my CEUs. Get them when I need them the most and give me a 3 to 4 year break when I get older to pay me back for being motivated earlier. Even if I could only use them every other year it would still be an improvement in my warped way of thinking. I understand it would require changes to an existing system, but so was the initial creation of the entire CEU system.

The courses I am talking about would be in-depth courses equal to a 3 to 4 hour college course and the test would be proctored by my PE mentor. The cost of $200 to $400 for a single real “self-study” course that literally helps me at work right them and saves me an entire years’ worth of CEUs in the future may not sound good to a young engineer graduate, but they may want to do some critical thinking on the subject if they are serious about this as a “life-long” profession.

Any opinions, criticisms or modifications to the concept?

 

[JAE]

Carrying over a course you took at age 25 to a point 40 years later makes no sense. The information would be out of date/obsolete.

From your list of courses you stated would have been helpful - I see you ultimately studied on your own and took the proper initiative to better yourself.
This is called professional maturity and I commend you for it. All engineers should be doing this above and beyond the silly required continuing education rules.

The main thing I learned in graduate school was how to teach myself. My graduate professors went to great lengths to emphasize that self-learning was a key ingredient in my Master's program. I carried this into my first job and never stopped learning.

As far as after 65 goes (I'm not sure I understand your AARP left turn signal statement) - I think you are correct that the seminars and courses available to seasoned engineers can be tiring. But at the very least it red flags for you new code provisions, new systems, new products, etc. that you can then self-educate on after the event.

Just my few thoughts.

 

[IRstuff]

Carrying over a course you took at age 25 to a point 40 years later makes no sense. The information would be out of date/obsolete.

That might depend on the subscription conditions; while not directly related, I did purchase some courses on programming, and didn't touch the material for nearly 10 years -- I recently decided to start them up, but they were "deprecated", but after clicking on the "update" link, I wound on the most recent, and updated, course material. I could imagine that some company might offer "lifetime" subscriptions to engineering courses that get updated over time.

 

[Ron247]

I would imagine that some company might offer "lifetime" subscriptions to engineering courses that get updated over time.

This post is on another thread due to posting problems I encountered. The other thread is called "A Conceptual Modification to the Continuing Education Requirements"

What you are saying is something I had not thought about, is companies forming some training products around longevity with clients. As an example in my world, a cold-formed training system you paid an initial fee for, that could stay in business over the years and provide modern updates (at a smaller fee) to their training would be very helpful. It seems the initial training is the harder thing to complete, and updates are more easily managed over the years.

Thanks for the input.