As an engineering professional, continuing your education is vital for moving forward in your career as an engineer. Most universities in the United States make it mandatory for engineers to continue their education and earn continuing education credits required to continue working and renew their licenses.
In Ohio PDH or professional development hours, are required for engineers to finish to avoid penalties. That’s why earning continuing education credits becomes crucial for those in the engineering profession.
Reasons For Continuing Education For Engineers In Ohio
In Ohio, all practicing professionals must complete a certain number of hours of education (30) to renew their license. The reasons include,
- Learning to adapt to new technologies and changes in the industry.
- Developing new skill sets and continuing to work effectively.
- Keep updated with the changing regulations within your field and adapt to the same.
- The primary reason is license renewal.
Requirements Of CEU For Engineers In Ohio
According to the Ohio administrative code, some essential criteria are required for continuing education credits for professional engineers.
- Before the expiry of two years of the biennial renewal, all registrants must complete 30 professional development hours (PDHs).
- Two of the thirty required continuing professional development hours will include professional ethics and rules about engineering practices.
- Maintaining records of professional development hours shall be the responsibility of the registrant.
- Professionals are required to maintain records for a period of four years. Board members must be provided with such documentation so that it can be audited and verified randomly. Documentation must be provided to claim professional development hours.
- Following Board policy, completing correspondence courses (paper, online, or other formats) is limited to a maximum of 3 hours of continuing professional development per year as long as the course and provider qualify for the requirements.
- In some cases, if the engineer has earned more than 30 hours of the biennial renewal period, the maximum hours after 30 hours is carried forward to next year’s PDH. However, the maximum hours that can be carried forward is 15.
- The court shall do random audits, so records should be kept.
How Online Classes Are Helpful For Professionals
In Ohio, PDH hours of 30 have to be completed to renew your license. As a working professional, you may not be able to visit the college physically, but thankfully, there are a number of online courses you can take that can help you complete your training on your own time.
However, it is important to ensure that you only take accredited, well-recognized courses by reputed online service providers. Some benefits of this include:
- The courses are readily available online, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and through any device.
- The courses are updated based on the state of Ohio’s current regulations and technological changes.
- The procedures are guided by expert industry leaders who are ready to guide you throughout the completion of your PDH.
- The courses are well-recognized by employers and other professionals in the industry.
To have a truly successful career as an engineer, it is important to keep learning new skills, develop technical knowledge, and stay abreast of the latest regulations and laws in the country and the state. Therefore, it is vital to select the right online course.