Annual Report 2024-25

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Proactive Regulation

2024–2025 Annual Report

15

THE INDIVIDUAL AUDIT PROGRAM The second year of the Individual Audit Program continued to show strong results, with most audits identifying one or less minor non conformances and one to two opportunities for improvement. These findings suggest that registrants are generally well-aligned with regulatory expectations, and that issues identified are typically limited in scope and not systemic. The most common areas for improvement included: • improving familiarity with one or more of the quality management standards; • properly completing Continuing Education (CE) Plans; and • documenting project risk assessments required under the Standard for Independent Review of High-Risk Professional Activities or Work. “ After two years of the program, we continue to see very high rates of understanding and compliance with the standards. We do often find small areas for improvement, and we continue to take a risk-based, learning-focused approach when working with registrants to improve their practice. We’ll continue to use the audit results and feedback we receive from auditees to make the program more efficient, relevant, and effective.”

INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED APPLICANTS Engineers and Geoscientists BC continues to receive a high volume of applications from internationally trained professionals. In engineering, applicants with degrees earned outside of Canada consistently outnumber those with Canadian credentials. The most common countries of origin for international engineering applicants include Iran, India, the US, the UK, and China. For geoscience, international applicants most frequently hold degrees from the US, the UK, New Zealand, Colombia, and Ireland. On April 1, 2025, Engineers and Geoscientists BC met the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance’s data reporting requirement by submitting application volumes, statuses, and timelines. This initial report helps establish a baseline for understanding regulatory practices. Notably, internationally trained applicants were licensed an average of 92 calendar days after submitting complete documentation. The data reflects applications received and assessed between July 1 and December 31, 2024. STRENGTHENING OUR DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE To strengthen our regulatory infrastructure, Engineers and Geoscientists BC implemented multi-factor authentication across all systems and upgraded our technology platforms to support modern tools and frameworks. We enhanced privacy impact assessments to guide responsible software adoption and deployed real-time endpoint detection to proactively defend against cyber threats.

TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

Engineering Applicants: Iran, India, the US, the UK, and China Geoscience Applicants: the US, the UK, New Zealand, Colombia, and Ireland

With the introduction of BC’s International Credentials Recognition Act on July 1, 2024, we reaffirmed our commitment to reducing barriers for internationally educated professionals while maintaining the high standards required for registration. Supported by $225,000 in funding from the provincial government’s Credentials Assessment Improvement Fund, we launched a comprehensive review of our online registration policies and applicant user experience. This initiative will result in approximately 20 updated policies and improved website navigation, with changes expected to roll out in early 2026. These efforts reflect our continued focus on making the registration process more efficient, accessible, and aligned with the needs of a growing and diverse applicant base.

Internationally trained applicants were licensed an average of 92 calendar days after submitting complete documentation.

— Stuart Nash, P.Eng., Manager, Individual Audits and Practice Reviews