INNOVATION November-December 2014

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The new OQM Policy Regarding Ongoing Practice Reviews allows for fair and consistent handling of such cases. Under the policy, if a member is selected for a random Practice Review and their employer initiates participation in the OQM program before the general review takes place, the random practice review will be deferred for a maximum of 12 months. Once OQM certification is achieved, all deferred random practice review files will be closed. If that 12-month period is exceeded, then the deferral will be lifted and the practice review will take place. Approval of Content for the Online Law and Ethics Seminar APEGBC Council has approved the proposed modules, learning outcomes and content for an online Law and Ethics Seminar. The Law and Ethics Seminar is one of the six qualifying require- ments that must be completed before professional registration or licence can be granted. The other requirements include academic, experience, character, language and the Professional Practice Examination. In April 2014, APEGBC Council approved a three- year budget that included transition of the Law and Ethics Seminar to an interactive online format by March 2016 at a reduced price of $250. Revenue generated from the seminar is projected to offset the cost of developing and maintaining the online seminar. A revised set of topics and learning outcomes have been developed that closely match the subject matter of the cur- rent seminar. However, the revised version also provides enhanced learning on additional topics such as communica- tions and BC-specific issues including the requirement to comply with APEGBC practice guidelines and the practice review program. Draft Mandatory CPD Bylaw Approved for Consultation APEGBC Council has approved in principle a draft manda- tory continuing professional development (CPD) bylaw to implement a mandatory CPD program for ratification by the membership in the fall of 2015. As it currently stands, compliance with the CPD Guideline is recommended but not mandatory. The APEGBC Executive Committee has approved a member consultation plan for the bylaw. This plan includes a member survey and consultation with APEGBC committees, branches, divisions and other associations. If the membership chooses to ratify the bylaw in the fall of 2015, it has been recommended by the CPD Committee that the mandatory CPD program become effective January 2017. This would allow one full year for members to prepare and plan their CPD activities. More information about the proposed bylaw and the planned consultation is available on page 11. Legislative Amendments Approved for Consultation Continuing on with the work of modernizing the Engineers and Geoscientists Act , Council has approved several proposed amendments to the Act for consultation with members. Council would be looking to bring forward the amendments for consideration by government during the 2016 legislative sitting.

Introduction of New Council Members At the inaugural meeting of the 2014/2015 Council, new coun- cillors were introduced to current members of Council as well as the association’s staff leadership team. Inter-Provincial Transfer Fee for Members-in-Training Waived APEGBC Council has approved a change to the application fee for Members-in-Training (MIT) who apply to the association from other provinces. The application fee for academically quali- fied MITs who apply from outside of BC has now been waived— a savings of $157.50 to the applicant. Updates to Looking-to-Exempt Policy for Engineering Applicants The Looking-to-Exempt Policy has been updated to remove the requirement of a telephone reference check for low risk applicants. This policy sets out the conditions for evaluation of mature engineering applicants for licensure and the possibility for waiver of their examinations. There are various categories for mature engineering applicants. Low risk applicants are individu- als who have been working in Canada for more than five years, have good documentation and outstanding references. The updated policy removes the necessity to confirm all referees for a low risk applicant. DEGIRS Revises Terms of Reference Council has approved revisions to the Terms of Reference of the Division of Engineers and Geoscientists in the Resource Sector (DEGIRS). The most notable of these changes includes the creation of three distinct membership types: Division Membership, Division Associate Membership and Division Affiliate Membership. Division members are licensed members of APEGBC. Division Associate members include members-in- training, engineering or geoscience students, and provisional members who are enrolled by APEGBC. Division Affiliate mem- bers are individuals who work in an area related to engineering and geoscience in the resource sector but who are not APEGBC members. To ensure that DEGIRS is comprised primarily of APEGBC members, the number of Division Affiliate members has been restricted to a maximum of 10% of the total number of Division members. OQM Policy for Ongoing Practice Reviews APEGBC Council has approved a new policy for APEGBC’s Organization Quality Management (OQM) program regarding ongoing practice reviews. A benefit of the OQM program is that the employees of OQM-certified organizations are exempt from random practice reviews. On a number of occasions, when an APEGBC member was selected for a random practice review, their employer subsequently initiated participation in the OQM program. APEGBC’S Council of elected members and government representatives meets throughout the year to conduct the business of association governance. The following are the highlights of the September 12 and October 25, 2014 meetings.

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