Becoming a

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• Becoming a
• Professional Geoscientist
• November 2007
• Tina Obrigewitsch, P.Eng.
• Director of Registration

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Outline

• Who is APEGS?
• Why is there licencing of geoscientists?
• How to become registered
• Questions

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APEGS Organization

• Approximately 6300 members
• 600 P.Geo.
• 100 geoscientist-in-training
• 4700 P.Eng.
• 900 Engineer-in-Training
• Non-profit organization
• Financed solely by member fees

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APEGS Organization
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WHY?

• Society
• Self regulation
• Geoscience as a profession
• The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act
  (the Act)

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Role of society

• Society has given the professions the privilege
  and authority of self regulation
• As part of this social contract, the recognized
  professions in Canada are self-regulating under
  provincial / territorial legislation

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Self Regulation

• Society professionals, are in the best position
  to determine who can practice
• Members of the profession regulate themselves by
  ensuring only qualified professionals are
  licenced to practice

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Geoscience Profession

• A profession is a calling requiring specialized
  knowledge and often long academic preparation
  (dictionary defn)
• Professions assign their highest obligation to
  society above all others
• In cases of conflicting responsibilities /
  interests, public safety, health and welfare is
  paramount

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Geoscience Profession

• Professionals are responsible for their personal
  competence and actions
• Professionals are recognized by peers
• Professionals define standards of competence
• Professionals control the practice of other
  professionals

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Professional Conduct

• Appropriate technical/scientific knowledge and
  skill with ability to apply to solving problems
• Knowing ones limitations
• Ability to maintain competence
• Mental and physical health necessary to perform
  required work

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The Act

• Objects of APEGS (paraphrased)
• Ensure proficiency and competency of members in
  order to safeguard the public
• Regulate the practice in accordance with the Act
  and Bylaws
• Promote and improve the proficiency and
  competency of members
• Foster the practice in a manner that is in the
  public interest

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The Act

• Definition of the practice of geoscience
• Application of geoscience principles including
  the principles of
• geology, geophysics and geochemistry
• to any act of acquiring or processing data,
  advising, evaluating, examining, interpreting,
  reporting, sampling or geoscientific surveying,
  that is directed toward
• the discovery or development of oil, NG, coal,
  metallic or non-metallic minerals, precious
  metals, water or other natural resources or
• the investigation of surface or sub-surface
  geological conditions

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The Act

• Protection of title (Section 26)
• No other person other than a professional
  geoscientist shall use the title
• Professional Geoscientist
• Geoscientist
• Consulting Geoscientist
• P.Geo.
• either alone or in combination with any other
  word, title, designation to imply that he or she
  is a professional geoscientist

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The Act

• Protection of title (Section 26)
• Title that geoscientist-in-training can use
• Geoscientist-in-Training written out in full
• Can be used along with a title containing the
  title Geoscientist (such as Exploration
  Geoscientist) as long as the Geoscientist-in-Train
  ing title is also included.
• GIT is not a publicly recognized acronym.
• Caution that use of title allowed is different in
  other provinces

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The Act

• Further protection of title (Section 26)
• No sole proprietorship, partnership, association
  of persons or corporation shall use the word or
  phrase
• geoscience
• P.Geo.
• consulting geoscientist
• either alone or in combination with any other
  word, title, designation to imply that the
  corp., etc or any of its members are professional
  geoscientists

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The Act

• Authority for scope of practice (Section 27)
• No person who is not a member shall hold himself
  or herself out as being a member
• No person who is not a licenced professional
  geoscientist shall engage in the practice of
  professional geoscience

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The Act

• As it pertains to Geoscientists-in-Training
• Are full, licenced members with the rights and
  responsibilities to
• Vote for Council
• Run for Council (MIT position)
• Vote at Annual / Special meetings of the
  Association
• Seal geoscience work

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The Act

• Provides the authority for the creation of
  Bylaws
• Regulatory Bylaws
• Code of Ethics (section 20)
• Administrative Bylaws

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Structure of the Profession

• Geoscience is regulated on a provincial /
  territorial basis
• CCPG (Canadian Council of Professional
  Geoscientists) is the federation of the
  provincial and territorial geoscience licencing
  bodies
• CGSB (Canadian Geoscience Standards Board)

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CCPG
www.ccpg.ca
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National Mobility

• Canadian Inter-Association Mobility Agreement
  (IAMA)
• Contains a notwithstanding clause (each
  Association reserves the right to review any
  applicant)
• NWC clause used infrequently, normally because of
  past discipline cases and for international
  graduates

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International Licencing

• 29 states in USA
• Italy, Spain, South Africa

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Becoming a P.Geo.

• HOW?
• Education
• Experience
• Experience Reporting
• Professional Practice Exam
• References
• Good Character
• Fees

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Education

• Four-year bachelor level university program of
  study in engineering recognized by Council
• Submit the application for registration as an
  geoscientist-in-training along with transcripts,
  confirmation of graduation form
• Good character

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Experience

• 4 years of acceptable work experience
• Acquired under the direct supervision of a
  professional member or with the assistance of a
  professional member mentor acceptable to Council

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Experience Reporting

• Submitted by the geoscientist-in-training, signed
  by the supervisor (and mentor if required)
• At least 3 experience reports required (at 1 yr,
  2yrs and 4 yrs) or more if you change employers
  or have a change in job function

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Experience Reporting

• Pre-grad experience credit max 12 months (write
  up reports asap, hold until you apply as an GIT)
• Thesis-based Masters max 12 months
• PhD max 24 months (graduate studies max total
  24 months)

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Experience Reporting

• The Experience Review Committee reviews the
  reports and provides feedback if required
• Experience is measure against APEGS Guideline 13
  Components of Acceptable Geoscience Work
  Experience

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Experience Reporting

• Components of Acceptable Geoscience Work
  Experience
• Application of the Knowledge of Geoscience
  Principles and Practice
• Management of Geoscience
• Social implications
• Communication skills

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Professional Practice Exam

• 3 hour, closed book exam on Canadian law and
  ethics
• Questions are a combination of True/False, short
  answer, multiple choice, long answer, one essay
• Passing mark is 65
• Two sittings per year

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Professional Practice Exam

• In order to be eligible to write
• you must be registered as a geoscientist-in-traini
  ng
• Have at least one experience report submitted to
  the APEGS office

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Professional Practice Exam

• Law and Ethics Seminar
• 2 days long, approx. 6 weeks before the exam
• In Saskatoon mid-April, in Regina late September
  (but the exam itself can be written in either
  city, or alternate locations)
• Excellent seminar which helps prepare you for
  professional practice

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Professional Application

• Once all requirements are completed, submit the
  application for registration as a professional
  member
• Requires references from at least 3 professional
  engineers or professional geoscientists
• One of the references must be from a previous
  engineer or geoscientist supervisor or mentor
• Direct confirmation of graduation

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Professional Development

• All members are required to participate in the
  Associations Continuing Professional Excellence
  (CPE) program
• Annual reporting of professional development
  points

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Contact Information

• See the APEGS Web site under Students,
  Presentations.
• Phone [phone] or
• 1-800-500-9547
• Website http//www.apegs.sk.ca
• E-mail apegs_at_apegs.sk.ca