Innovation-March_April 2013

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The Member-in-Training Program is intended to provide guidance and feedback to individuals earning the required experience and competencies for registration. The program is voluntary, and over 3,600 EITs and 230 GITs are currently enrolled. The Registration Committee will typically extend an EIT or GIT internship for up to three additional years past the eight-year limit if the individual provides sufficient reasons for the request. Approximately 30 to 40 EITs and GITs are removed from the rolls each year for exceeding the membership time limit. The Registration Committee obtained stakeholder input on the proposed bylaw change in accordance with APEGBC’s Bylaw Consultation Policy. This consultation took place through a survey of all current members- in-training, as well as current supervisors who participate in the online experience reporting, feedback and credit system. Council approved this proposed bylaw change for ratification by members in the fall of 2013. Alternative Complaint Resolution In December 2011, Council approved in principle a draft alternative complaint resolution bylaw and directed that consultation be undertaken with the membership on this proposed bylaw. The Engineers and Geoscientists Act was amended in 2008 to permit alternative complaint resolution (ACR) of discipline cases. While the Act amendments envisaged and authorized an ACR bylaw, and some mediations of disciplinary matters have been conducted using the ACR provisions in the Act as a framework, a bylaw had not yet been developed. The proposed ACR bylaw will address common issues and considerations that are not covered by the Act, including the form of ACR (mediation, negotiation, other), the association’s involvement in the mediation, payment for the process, and publication of any consent order negotiated as a result of ACR. Following a period of consultation in the spring of 2012, the feedback gathered from members as well as the legal community was reviewed by the Discipline Committee, the original proposers of the bylaw. Based on this feedback, the committee enacted further refinements to the bylaw to clarify the respective roles of the association and the Discipline Committee in the process.

in-training are cancelled for non-payment of fees, typically because they either a) neglected to pay the renewal fee, but need their practice rights immediately renewed; or b) had no need of their membership in the current year and believed that by letting their fees lapse they had, in fact, resigned in good standing. To allow for the expedited reinstatement of members who neglected to pay their renewal fee but need their practice rights continued, Council has approved a revised Return to Practice Policy with a simplified process. Members who wish to take advantage of this process must pay the renewal fee, late fee and reinstatement fee, and complete a simplified application form and declaration. Practice rights will be reinstated within one to three business days and will be retroactive to the date of cancellation of membership. Former members or licensees who wish to reinstate their memberships and/or practice rights and who have not practised in British Columbia in the current year must follow the traditional reinstatement and return to practice process. For mem- bers in this category whose membership lapsed because of non-payment of fees, Council has directed that the membership fee and late fee be forgiven for the year in which the membership lapsed. Council Approves Bylaw Amendments for Member Ratification In January and March, Council approved amendments to two APEGBC Bylaws for member ratification. These amendments were approved following a consultation period with members as per the APEGBC Bylaw Consultation Policy, a process that was established to increase the opportunities for members to provide feedback on potential bylaw changes. (Information on the current consultation on limited licensee inclusive bylaw amendments may be found on page 6.) Removal of Eight-Year Limit for EIT/GITs In June 2012, Council provided approval in principle that Bylaw 11(c) be changed to remove the eight-year limit on EIT/GIT membership. The proposed adjustment supports the premise that keeping members-in-training engaged in the professions could be of greater value than imposing a time limit on their membership.

January 25 and March 8, 2013 Women in Engineering and Geoscience Task Force Formed Increasing the number and retention of women in engineering and geoscience careers is an issue that Council has been considering over the past several months, prompted by a motion brought forward by members at the annual general meeting in October. According to an Engineers Canada report, fewer women undertake careers in engineering compared to other professions requiring a university degree in Canada. While much work has been done by other organizations to examine this issue, including Engineers Canada and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, APEGBC has not yet committed significant resources to this matter. At their January meeting, Council discussed this challenge and determined that APEGBC should actively assess how it could add benefit, and act to improve the gender imbalance within the engineering and geoscience professions. Council approved terms of reference for a task force that will maintain clear deliverables to identify what the causes of the gender imbalance are, how they could be addressed effectively by APEGBC, and what metrics would be used to determine success. To inform its work, the task force will reach out to groups already working on this matter as well as those who should be engaged further, and will recommend how to supplement, rather than duplicate, the activities of these groups. APEGBC’s Council meets throughout the year to conduct the business of association governance. The follow- ing are the highlights of the January 25 and March 8, 2013 meetings of APEGBC Council. Return to Practice Policy Amended, Adding Simplified Process In 2010, the Engineers and Geoscientists Act was amended to allow Council to forgive the membership renewal fee and/or the late fee in a range of circumstances. Each year, the memberships of approximately 300 professional members and 200 members-

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