INNOVATION January-February 2016

Because the Integral Group in Vancouver has been accredited under APEGBC's Accredited Employer Member-in-Training program, Esteban Kello, EIT ( right ) , has the opportunity to attain his professional designation through a fast-tracked, low-risk process. A lso shown , from left : the Integral Group's Ivan Lee, P.Eng., Ken Newbert, P.Eng., and Vladimir Mikler, P.Eng.

Accredited Employers Program Supports Members-in-Training APEGBC recently launched a pilot program to enhance the working environments of members- in-training (MITs) and streamline the processing and evaluation of applicants seeking to obtain professional membership. The Accredited

• Participating employers receive external recognition for their training programs, which will help them attract additional talented, qualified applicants. • APEGBC can allocate registration staff resources more efficiently. The Integral Group recently became the first employer to be accredited. Other organisations participating in the pilot include the BCMinistry of Transportation & Infrastructure, COWI Bridge North America (formerly Buckland and Taylor), and Omicron. In addition to submitting their training plans for APEGBC approval, accredited employers nominate at least two senior, internal P.Eng. employees to act as assessors. Assessors will ultimately review the experience of EITs and feedback provided by direct supervisors. If an EIT is found to meet the minimum competency requirements, he or she can be recommended for registration. The structure of the program’s assessment component permits fast-tracking. Members of the employer’s MIT Review Committee hold the same status as APEGBC Registration Assessment volunteers, but assess only P.Eng. applicants within their own organisations and from other accredited employers. The MIT Review Committee also incorporates one member external to the company to provide an objective review of the internal applicant. APEGBC provides training for program stakeholders and also conducts annual quality control audits on completed professional- registration applications. Employers can renew their program accreditation after three years. To be eligible for the program, EITs must work with the accredited employer for a minimum of two years and document their work experience in the Competency Experience Reporting System. v

Employer Member-in-Training program develops partnerships with engineering and geoscience organisations that employ engineers-in-training (EITs) and geoscientists-in-training (GITs) and offer work environments that enable these employees to satisfy APEGBC’s experience requirements. At this time, the program is being piloted for EITs only, because of the establishment of Competency Assessment for engineering applicants. Engineers- in-training hired by accredited employers have the opportunity to be expedited through a low-risk pathway towards their professional designation. This structured, supported approach places applicants in a category with quicker processing times and fosters work environments where minimum competencies for P.Eng. registration can be acquired. The pilot, which began in November, is expected to run until early 2017. The Accredited Employer Member-in-Training (MIT) program includes several advantages: • Engineers-in-training receive enhanced guidance in gaining the necessary competencies for P.Eng. licensure. This assistance would come not only from APEGBC but from their supervisors, who will be trained to provide environments that allow EITs to gain the necessary experience. • Contributions made by P.Eng. supervisors qualify towards their continuing professional development hours for voluntary self- reporting.

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