Keeping up with the continual advancements in engineering and geology is difficult. Every year, new methods, concepts, pieces of software, and hardware are developed.
How does a professional keep themselves current? In a published policy, Engineers Canada recommended that licensed members engage in a variety of learning activities and annually report these activities to respective associations. These guidelines are now being followed by all licensing associations (or beginning to follow it). The need for continuous competence, the requirements of the guidelines, and a list of typical actions that satisfy the standards are all outlined in this chapter. Fortunately, the majority of experts readily meet the task.
CAREER MOMENTUM VERSUS OBSOLESCENCE
Graduates are eager to learn more and bring fresh perspectives to the workplace. This optimistic outlook is the beginning of a prosperous career. Your bachelor’s degree, however, degrades with time like a radioactive mineral. The half-life of a university degree used to be around ten years, but in high-tech fields, it is now considerably shorter. Without professional renewal, you will eventually become obsolete, even if you graduated at the top of your class. Keep your abilities current since professional growth keeps the momentum in your career. The majority of provinces currently have (or are transitioning to having) mandated programs, and failing to prioritize professional development (or failing to keep track of it) can result in the revocation of your professional license.
In a recent poll, geoscientists and engineers from Canada were asked to list the qualifications necessary for a successful career (in addition to their basic professional education). ‘ The top three were business skills (named by 27% of respondents), negotiating abilities (30% of respondents), and personnel management skills (20 percent). In their Guideline on Continuing Competence, Engineers Canada suggests acquiring comparable skills. Since only a small portion of these essential abilities are taught in undergraduate engineering and/or geoscience courses, it is obvious that you must acquire the majority of them on your own (unless your university permitted optional or minor courses in management).
Non-Technical Skills
•• Interaction (written and oral)
Project Management; Interpersonal Skills (e.g., negotiation, delegation, decision-making, cultural sensitivity); (scheduling, estimating, budgeting, quality assurance, etc.)
• Management; problem-solving (recruiting, training, performance evaluation, human rights, motivational methods, mentoring, harassment issues, etc.)
• Business and Lifelong Learning (contract negotiation, financial accounting, risk analysis, law, etc.)
Technical Skills
• Dangerous/hazardous materials management
• Environmental regulations
• Codes and standards
•Regulatory compliance (such as the Building Codel.2
RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTINUING COMPETENCE
You are, of course, in charge of maintaining your proficiency. The good news is that retaining competence benefits both parties: it advances your career by keeping you competitive and productive, and it also serves as a quality control mechanism that safeguards the general public.
PROFESSIONALS ARE RESPONSIBLE
Each licensing Act has a provision mandating ongoing competence, which is typically included in the Code of Ethics. For instance, this is expressly stated in the Engineers Canada Code of Ethics, a national model code. Professional engineers must “maintain their competence by keeping themselves updated, work to improve the body of knowledge within which they practice, and provide chances for their subordinates’ professional development.” 3
This calls on you to constantly evaluate your skills and stay current with theories, tools, and techniques. You will need support and direction, though; you cannot do it on your own.
Employers also play a part. Employers must support employees in realizing their full potential if they want to keep the best talent. Professionals want to work hard, but they also want challenging tasks and chances to take part in cutting-edge conferences, workshops, and courses to maintain their skill sets.
Employers are agreeing to play this part. According to a recent Engineers Canada poll, further training was completed by 64% of licensed engineers and geoscientists in the previous three years in order to maintain or improve their professional competence. Four out of every five participants in the additional training received some form of financial assistance from their companies, and half were given time off. * Today, career advancement takes precedence over employment stability.
Technical societies and universities should set the standard. Technical societies are equally important in assisting you in maintaining your professional competence as universities are in providing pertinent courses, seminars, and conferences. Technical societies unite individuals with related fields of expertise and produce a great body of information, research, rules, standards, and procedures. A practicing professional should become a member of at least one group in order to take advantage of the assistance that these organisations offer so freely. It makes perfect sense to do so.
COMPETENCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Associations looked at other Canadian professions before introducing continuous competency standards. One thing unites the fields of law, medicine, accountancy, and architecture: continual professional development is a prerequisite. Similar regulations are also being implemented by several licensing boards in the United States.
Engineers Canada developed a guideline in 1996 (which was updated in 2004) to encourage Associations to create standardized professional development programs. For full guarantee of ongoing competence, Engineers Canada envisions four essential needs, which are as follows:
• Continually Improve Your Skills (CPD). Every association ought to have (at the very least) a voluntary continuing professional development program that promotes CPD (Continuing Professional Development) activities to aid members in gaining new information, abilities, and experiences. CPD activities (as described below) cover a wide range of pursuits, including formal education, professional practice, and independent study.
• Reporting and keeping track. The Associations should make it simple for members to submit their CPD activity documentation, ideally online.
• Compliance declaration. The Associations ought to request each year from licensed members a confirmation confirming they have followed the CPD criteria.
•Review your practice. The Associations should audit compliance declarations by choosing a small, random sample of members to undergo a practice review in order to ensure that all members maintain continuing competence.
Engineers Canada advises making all four components of the ongoing competency program mandatory and advising associations to penalize members who fail to comply. All provincial and territory associations had endorsed the guideline by May 2007 or were in the process of doing so. Some programs are optional, while others are required. Although Quebec has maintained a voluntary CPD policy since 1982, APEGGA (Alberta) was the first Association to completely implement the Engineers Canada Guideline when it announced its required CPD plan in 1998. 6 The following categories may apply to the programs: Programs requiring CPD: Alberta (APEGGA), New Brunswick Ontario (APGO), Newfoundland and Labrador (PEG-NI), Prince Edward Island (APEPEI), Quebec (OGC), Saskatchewan, and Ontario (APEGNS) (APEGS).
Programs for voluntary continuing professional development (CPD): British Columbia (APEGBC), Manitoba (APEGM), Northwest Territories (NAPEGG), Nova Scotia (APENS), Nova Scotia (APGNS), Ontario (PEO), Quebec (OIQ), and Yukon (APEY).
Program prerequisites can differ greatly. Unlike the majority of the voluntary programs, some call for complete reporting, compliance, and possibly practice reviews. Each Association has a web page, brochure, or policy that describes their professional development program. To view the CPD and compliance procedures that apply to you, visit the website.