The engineering technologist works with broadly-defined engineering problems – i.e. what is defined in a performance-based standard and hence some engineering judgement is required. The railway control systems engineering technologist needs to understand how these judgements will affect not only the relevant railway control subsystem (e.g. signalling) but also the railway control system that it lives within.
As discussed previously, I recommend that after the two-year graduate rotation program there should be an education program that covers railway control systems engineering in depth at the engineering technologist level.
Note that this education program is developing engineering technologists within the engineering specialisation of railway control systems engineering. Therefore the graduate attributes are as per the Sydney Accord.
An engineering technologist qualification is at the AQF level 7. As will be discussed later, for practical reasons, it may need to be at a higher level.
These requirements can be fulfilled by:
- Sydney Accord degree (or equivalent qualification) in electrical engineering (or related – e.g. mechatronics)
- Learning outcomes of the IRSE Professional Exam Module A (as per the railway control systems engineering fundamentals education)
- Learning outcomes of the IRSE Professional Exam Module B: Railway safety and systems engineering
- Learning outcomes of the IRSE Professional Exam Module C: Principles of railway control and communication systems
- Learning outcomes of the IRSE Professional Exam Module D: Applications of railway control and communication systems.
The Module B syllabus can be found here.
The Module C syllabus can be found here.
The Module D syllabus can be found here.