Professional qualifications in the United Kingdom are titles or awards granted by professional bodies. Many British professional qualifications were subject to the European directives on professional qualifications and are (following Brexit) covered by amended versions of those regulations as enacted in British law. Most, but not all, professional qualifications are 'Chartered' qualifications, and follow on from having been admitted to a degree (or having an equivalent qualification). The term "professional qualification" can also be used to refer to higher-level vocational qualifications in "professional" roles.
Regulation and levels There are four forms of regulated profession in the UK, with respect to the European directives on professional qualifications: professions regulated by law or public authority; professions regulated by professional bodies incorporated by royal charter; professions regulated under Regulation 35; and the seven sectoral professions with harmonised training requirements across the European Union. The European directives are given force of law in the UK via regulations issued by the Secretary of State under the European Communities Act 1972; the most recent regulations are The European Union (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2015.
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation has been supporting the development of professional qualifications for technicians, such as the Science Council's Registered Science Technician (RSciTech), the Engineering Council's Engineering Technician (EngTech) and ICT Technician (ICTTech), and the British Computer Society's Registered IT Technician (RITTech). Analysis by the Foundation identifies three levels of professional qualification on a "registration ladder" in science and engineering: technician registration, requiring Advanced Apprenticeships, A Levels, BTEC nationals, or similar awards at levels 3–4 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (now replaced by the Regulated Qualifications Framework); intermediate qualifications such as Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Registered Scientist (RSci) requiring Higher Apprenticeships, Higher National Diplomas, foundation degrees, bachelor's degrees, or similar awards at levels 5–6; and chartered statuses such as CEng, CSci, CPhys, CChem, etc. that require master's degrees or similar qualifications at level 7 or above.
The European directives specify five levels of professional qualification in the general system, labelled a to e and approximately defined by their required academic training as:
On this scale, ICTTech, EngTech and other technician qualifications equate to level c, IEng equates to level d, and CEng, CSci, etc. equate to level e. Although chartered statuses in science and engineering are placed at level e, in some fields chartered statuses, while remaining terminal professional qualifications in that field, are at level d (e.g. CMgr).
Professional qualifications requiring an attestation of competence
These professions are government regulated and involve reserved activities rather than a reserved title. Some of these are devolved matters that are not uniformly regulated across the UK. In most cases, the competent authority for these is a government department or agency.
Generic title Profession Competent authority Region Airport fire officer / airport firefighter Airport fire fighter Civil Aviation Authority UK Diver Diver Health and Safety Executive, Offshore Policy Division UK Driving instructor Approved driving instructor Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency GB Approved driving instructor department of environment for N.I. Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (NI) NI Certified instructor (motor cycles) (in Great Britain) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency GB Registered Gas Engineer Registered Gas Engineer Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services Ltd UK Road/Street Works professions Road/Street Works Supervisor Street Works Qualifications Register England & Wales Road/street works operative Street Works Qualifications Register England & Wales Security guard/Warden Cash & Valuables in Transit Operative Security Industry Authority UK Close Protection Operative Security Industry Authority UK Door Supervisor Security Industry Authority UK Public Surveillance Operative Security Industry Authority UK Security Guard Security Industry Authority UK Vehicle Immobiliser (Northern Ireland) Security Industry AuthorityNI Social worker Childminder Ofsted England
Professional qualifications requiring education at secondary level
These professional qualifications are mostly, as in the previous category, government regulated with reserved activities, although some are through licensing of use of a reserved title.
Professions with reserved activities: Generic title Profession Competent authority Region Airport fire officer / airport firefighter Airport fire officer Civil Aviation Authority UK Mining electrician Mines electrician Health and Safety Executive UK Mining mechanic Mines mechanic Health and Safety Executive UK
Professions with protected titles under a licensing system: Generic title Profession Reserved titles Licensing body Region Dental assistant/ Dental Nurse Dental Nurse Dental nurse, dental surgery assistant General Dental Council UK
Professional qualifications requiring education for at least one year at post-secondary level These qualifications now begin to include those which have protected titles without reserve of activities, normally granted by professional bodies under their royal charter rather than by statutory or regulatory bodies. Titles granted by professional bodies are often accompanied by postnominal letters.
Regulated by law or public authority
Professions with reserved activities or protected functions: Generic title Profession Competent authority Region Boatmaster Licensed boatmaster Department for Transport UK Chief engineer class I fishing vessel Chief engineer class 1 fishing vessel Maritime & Coastguard Agency UK Chief Engineer Class 2 - Fishing Vessels Maritime & Coastguard Agency UK Conveyancer Executry Practitioner Law Society of Scotland Scotland Qualified Conveyancer Law Society of Scotland Scotland Deck officer class I fishing vessel Deck Officer Class 1 - Fishing Vessels Maritime & Coastguard Agency UK Deck officer class II fishing vessel Deck Officer Class 2 Fishing Vessel Maritime & Coastguard Agency UK Deck officer class III fishing vessel Deck Officer Class 3 - Fishing Vessels Maritime & Coastguard Agency UK Insolvency practitioner Insolvency practitioner Insolvency Service/Insolvency Service (NI) UK Inspector of weights and measures Inspector of Weights & Measures in Northern Ireland Department of Economic Development NI Inspector of weights and measures Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy GB Lawyer/Barrister/Solicitor Costs Lawyer Costs Lawyer Standards Board England & Wales Mining engineer Mines electrical engineer Health and Safety Executive UK Mines mechanical engineer Health and Safety Executive UK Mining supervisor/deputy Mine deputy Health and Safety Executive UK Patent Agent / Trademark agent Registered Trademark Attorney Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys UK Registered trademark agent Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys UK Professions in the field of waste management and disposal Waste disposal manager (NI) Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board NI Second level nurse Nurse Admitted to Sub-Part 2 of the Register maintained by the Nursing & Midwifery Council Nursing and Midwifery Council UK Specialised teachers, not elsewhere classified Teacher in Further Education (England & Wales) Wales Assembly Government/Institute for Learning England & Wales Veterinary nurse Registered veterinary nurse Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons UK
Professions with protected titles under a licensing system: Generic title Profession Reserved titles Licensing body Region Dental hygienist Dental hygienist Dental hygienist General Dental Council UK Dental technician Clinical dental technician Clinical dental technician, clinical dental technologist, denturist General Dental Council UK Dental Technician Dental technician, dental technologist General Dental Council UK Dental therapist Dental therapist Dental therapist General Dental Council UK Pharmaceutical technician/Pharmaceutical assistant Pharmacy technician Pharmacy technician General Pharmaceutical Council GB Blacksmith, Farrier, Forging, Stamping, Pressing Farrier Farrier Farriers Registration Council UK
Professions with protected titles without reserve of activities: Generic title Protected title Regulatory body Region Conveyancer Licensed conveyancer Council for Licensed Conveyancers UK Dental therapist Orthodontic Therapist General Dental Council UK
Regulated by professional bodies under royal charter
Professions with protected titles without reserve of activities: Generic title Protected title Postnominal letters Professional body Region Colourist Licentiate of the Society of Dyers and Colourists LSDC Society of Dyers and Colourists UK Dance teacher Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance LRAD Royal Academy of Dance UK Registered Teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance RTRAD Royal Academy of Dance UK Engineering Technician Engineering technician EngTech Engineering Council UK ICT Technician ICTTech Engineering Council UK Marketing consultant Associate Member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing ACIM Chartered Institute of Marketing UK Meteorologist Registered Meteorologist RMet Royal Meteorological Society UK Surveyor Associate Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ARICS Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors UK Textile expert Licentiate of the Textile Institute LTI Textile Institute UK
Professional qualifications requiring bachelor's degree level education
Many of these are protected titles without reserve of activities, regulated by professional bodies acting under a royal charter. This includes a large number of chartered statuses, which are terminal professional qualifications in that field.
Regulated by law or public authority
Professions with reserved activities: Generic title Profession Competent authority Region Actuary Actuary Institute and Faculty of Actuaries UK Headmaster/School Director Principal of a further education institution in England Department for Education England Mining manager Mine manager Health and Safety Executive UK Mining surveyor Mine surveyor Health and Safety Executive UK Nurse Nurses admitted to Sub-Part 1 of the Register maintained by the Nursing & Midwifery Council Nursing and Midwifery Council UK Patent Attorney/Trademark Attorney Patent Attorney Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys UK Primary school teacher School Teacher in State maintained schools (Primary) National College for Teaching and Leadership/General Teaching Council for Scotland/General Teaching Council for Wales/General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland Wales Secondary school teacher School teacher in State maintained schools (secondary) National College for Teaching and Leadership/General Teaching Council for Scotland/General Teaching Council for Wales/General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland UK
Professions with reserved activities and protected titles: Generic title Protected title Competent authority Region Hearing aid dispenser Hearing aid dispenser Health and Care Professions Council UK Optician (Dispensing optician) Dispensing optician General Optical Council UK
Professions with protected titles under a licensing system: Generic title Protected title Licensing body Region Social worker Social Worker Care Council for Wales/Scottish Social Services Council/Northern Ireland Social Care Council Wales, Scotland and NI
Professions with protected titles without reserve of activities: