Innovation-Nov-Dec-2023

REGULATORY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIALS RECOGNITION ACT TAKES EFFECT NEXT SUMMER

On November 8, the BC Government passed the International Credentials Recognition Act , which is designed to streamline the registration process for internationally educated professionals and attract more skilled professionals to BC. The legislation is scheduled to take effect next summer and will apply to 29 professions and their regulatory bodies, including Engineers and Geoscientists BC. “Supporting international mobility has always been important to Engineers and Geoscientists BC,” said Heidi Yang, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer. “As a regulator, it’s our job to ensure the public is protected through a strong admissions process that ensures only those who are qualified can practise engineering or geoscience—regardless of whether they were educated here in BC or elsewhere in the world.” Alongside other regulators, Engineers and Geoscientists BC has been providing feedback to government on this legislation for

several months. The organization is pleased to see several of its established processes recognized in this legislation as the standard regulators should meet. Engineers and Geoscientists BC has already introduced several processes that align well with the Act . These include removing time-bound requirements for Canadian environment work experience, flexibility in English language proficiency assessment, and mutual recognition agreements with professional regulators in other countries. Our competency based assessment framework has also been adopted by other engineering and geoscience regulators in other provinces. As one of the largest professional regulators in BC, Engineers and Geoscientists BC looks forward to continued work with government to comprehensively understand the impacts of this legislation. As this work progresses, we will keep registrants and applicants informed.

MMCD Accepted, BC MoTI Recognized, AREMA Approved

75

INNOVATION

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

29