Provisional Licensees

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Improved Public Interest

It is in the public interest that confusing and unnecessary category designations be removed from the General Regulation.

Background

  • Provisional Licensee is a designation available to individuals who have completed all requirements for becoming a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) or Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) except the requirement of having at least 12 months of experience in the application of relevant Canadian codes, standards, and business processes. As these individuals meet the academic requirements, they also qualify for the Member-in-Training designation (M.I.T.).
  • Provisional Licensees are not licensed (authorized) to independently practise engineering or geoscience and, as such, are not authorized to stamp or authenticate documents. Similar to M.I.T.s, Provisional Licensees may only practise engineering or geoscience under the supervision and control of a P.Eng., P.Geo., Professional Licensee, or Professional Technologist with training and experience in the same area of practice (collectively referred to as a licensed professional).
  • Once Provisional Licensees experience under the appropriate supervision and control, they can apply to become registered as Professional Engineers or Professional Geoscientists.
  • Provisional Licensees are not eligible to vote in APEGA matters, stand for election to Council, or serve on statutory committees.
  • The number of Provisional Licensees is very small. As of May 31, 2016, there were 171.
  • An individual can be a Provisional Licensee for only two years and could be extended by Council but for no more than four years in total. Rarely has this been requested and granted by Council. 
  • Only four constituent engineering and geoscience associations have a Provisional Licensee category.

Why is this important?

  • The Provisional Licensee designation was not created in the public interest but was created to benefit individuals without the required 12 months of experience. It was created to give APEGA the ability to give those individuals a designation other than M.I.T.
  • The Provisional Licensee designation does not give these individuals the right to independently practise engineering or geoscience, and it is not necessary for employment. The word licensee in the designation is misleading. These individuals are employable and can do engineering or geoscience work under the supervision and control of licensed professional, irrespective of having a Provisional Licensee
  • The Provisional Licensee designation is not well understood and causes confusion to the public, Members, and Permit Holders. The word licensee in the designation is misleading as the title suggests licensure, yet it has no corresponding practice rights. The number of Provisional Licenseesis, and historically has been, extremely small. This adds to the confusion because there are so few of them. 
  • Eliminating the Provisional Licensee designation will reduce confusion and increase clarity with the public, Members, and Permit Holders.

Proposed legislative change

It is recommended that the legislation be amended to remove the Provisional Licensee category and all references to Provisional Licensees from the legislation.

Effects of the proposed change

  • The public interest will be improved by simplifying the legislation to remove a designation that causes confusion and offers negligible value to the public interest.
  • Individuals will continue to be employable and be able to do engineering or geoscience work under the supervision and control of a licensed professional, irrespective of having a Provisional Licensee designation.
  • It will affect a very small number of individuals. These individuals will lose the ability to use the Provisional License designation, but they will be eligible to enrol as M.I.T.s. It will not affect their ability to work under supervision and control a licensed professional, and it will not affect their ability to become registered as Professional Engineers or Professional Geoscientists.

It will bring APEGA’s legislation in line with the majority of constituent associations.