Determining Substantial Equivalency Related to Credentials Evaluation

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Determining Substantial Equivalency Related to
Credentials Evaluation

• Jim Smith, P.Eng.
• Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

Presented at the 2005 CLEAR Annual
Conference September 15-17 Phoenix,
Arizona
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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Topics
• Professional engineers in Canada
• Assessment systems
• Mobility
• Themes
• - current practices
• - mobility (history and current practices)

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• The Engineering Profession in Canada
• Provinces responsible for licensing, discipline
  and enforcement
• Provinces create the legislative framework
• Associations for self regulated professions.
• Right to title all those practicing engineering
  must be registered.

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Self Regulated Professions
• Resources (people and funds) from membership
• Province establishes legislative framework
• Professional associations - staff and volunteer
  organizations to manage registration, discipline,
  education etc.
• The national organization provincially funded
  (some) government (project) funding

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• The Engineering Profession in Canada
• 160,000 registered Engineers in 12 jurisdictions
• National academic and experience standards
• Provincial associations are responsibility for
  registration
• Standards and best practices facilitated through
  multi-association organization (CCPE)

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Evolution of licensure
• 1. Academic assessment by educators
• 2. Limited experience assessment done by
  educators
• 3. Expand both academic and non academic
  assessment methods
• 4. Focus and expand on methods

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Standards for registration
• Education
• Practical competency experience
• Continuing competency and professional
  development
• Multi stakeholder system
• Individuals, industry, educational institutions,
  associations, government

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
• - national body established by licensing bodies
• - leadership for national and international
  systems, issues and initiatives
• Tools
• - committees, task teams focused on
  professional systems or specific issues
• - standards and guidelines (best practices)

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• CCPE Assessment Systems
• - CCPE has 2 Boards to establish standards.
  Accreditation (CEAB)
• Qualification (CEQB)
• - Boards formed from licensing body reps.
• - Boards establish the standards and guidelines
  ? provinces implement within their legislative
  framework

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Education
• Accreditation Board (CEAB) plus Deans
• - Academic standard for Canadian universities
• Qualification Board (CEQB)
• - Syllabus for exam program for non-CEAB
  programs
• CCPE
• - Evaluate Foreign degree programs for
  equivalency

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Education Standards References
• CEAB accredited Canadian University list
• CCPE
• - foreign degree list (recognized or
  substantially equivalent)
• - immigration application assessments

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Mutual Recognition Agreements (4)
• 1. Accreditation Board of Engineering and
  Technology - A.B.E.T. (U.S.)
• 2. Washington Accord (Recognition based on
  equivalency of accrediting organizations)
• - Ireland, U.K. Australia, New Zealand, Hong
  Kong, U.S. South Africa

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Mutual Recognition Agreements (4)
• 3. Between CTI (France) substantially
  equivalent engineering programs and reciprocity
  of professional designations.
• 4. NAFTA Canada, U.S., Mexico. (Implemented by
  Canadian associations and Texas)

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Experience and Character
• Qualification Board (CEQB) establishes
  following guidelines
• Admission to the Practice of Engineering
• Code of Ethics
• Professional Practice Exam
• Continuing Professional Development

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Mobility - National
• The Canadian licensing bodies have a national
  agreement (IAMA) that provides for mobility and
  expedites licensing of engineers in Canadian
  provinces.

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Inter-association Mobility Agreement
• The IAMA works because of each licensing body
  adheres to guidelines for registration.
• The agreement recognizes the final authority
  within each jurisdiction (not withstanding clause)

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• Mobility International
• CCPE and some Provinces are actively pursuing
  mutual recognition agreements with other
  countries and states.
• Barriers are regional legislative differences,
  lack of knowledge of other systems

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• CCPE Summary
• CCPE, the national council for professional
  engineering that is directed and supported by
  each provinces licensing body.
• The accreditation process standards used by all
  our licensing bodies.
• Creation of recognition and mobility programs
  with several countries.

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Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

• CCPE Summary (contd)
• System success due to relationships among the
  provinces and across all levels of government.
• CCPE expanding the quality, content, depth and
  accessibility of the foreign degree database.
• CCPE studying registration methods and impact on
  foreign trained engineers.

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Speaker Contact Information

• Speaker name Jim Smith, P. Eng
• Organization Canadian Council of Professional
  Engineers
• Address 180 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario
• Phone Office [phone] Cell(780)
  832-4466 Fax [phone]
• E-mail smithj3_at_telusplanet.net
• Website www.ccpe.ca