I can only offer my opinion and anecdotal experience, which may not be representative.


I've worked on the continent (Switzerland, Germany and Austria) for a while now and having a degree is more or less essential for professional engineering roles, in a couple of interviews I have been asked what exactly the course covered and how it compared to their local qualifications. 


However, I would doubt people outside the circles of the professional engineering institutions know what the Washington Accord is, so I would say it's not important. At least not to employers.


It would be enlightening to see some feedback from employers about these sort of questions. I wonder if the IET and other PEIs go in for this sort of thing.


Different point. Roy:

 

Roy Bowdler:
The common factor being that more selective and demanding degrees in terms of Mathematics & Science are seen as “more suitable” preparation for Engineers, with any emphasis on “applications” considered more appropriate for an “associate engineer” or “Technologist”.

 

In my opinion this is a filter to select people perceived to the best the academic system has to offer, rather than because these specific advanced maths and science skills are required for most engineers. 

I can only offer my opinion and anecdotal experience, which may not be representative.


I've worked on the continent (Switzerland, Germany and Austria) for a while now and having a degree is more or less essential for professional engineering roles, in a couple of interviews I have been asked what exactly the course covered and how it compared to their local qualifications. 


However, I would doubt people outside the circles of the professional engineering institutions know what the Washington Accord is, so I would say it's not important. At least not to employers.


It would be enlightening to see some feedback from employers about these sort of questions. I wonder if the IET and other PEIs go in for this sort of thing.


Different point. Roy:

 

Roy Bowdler:
The common factor being that more selective and demanding degrees in terms of Mathematics & Science are seen as “more suitable” preparation for Engineers, with any emphasis on “applications” considered more appropriate for an “associate engineer” or “Technologist”.

 

In my opinion this is a filter to select people perceived to the best the academic system has to offer, rather than because these specific advanced maths and science skills are required for most engineers.