Professional Licensee

Recommendations:

  • Eliminate the existing Professional Licensee (P.L.) category and have all individuals without engineering or geoscience degrees apply for the Professional Technologist (P.Tech.) designation to be administered by ASET and regulated by joint APEGA/ASET statutory boards; and
  • Create a new Limited License designation of APEGA membership that would be available only to individuals with engineering or geoscience degrees and who do not immediately qualify for P.Eng or P. Geo. designations but who might otherwise be qualified to practice engineering or geoscience within a limited scope of practice. (Grandfather the existing P.L.s into the new Limited License)

Under this proposed model individuals without degrees in engineering or geoscience would apply to ASET for licensure as a P.Tech. This would include individuals with:

  • At least two years of post-secondary education acceptable to the Joint Board of Examiners in areas that relate to engineering or geoscience
  • Engineering or geoscience technology diplomas acceptable to the Joint Board of Examiners in areas that relate to engineering or geoscience
  • Three or four year cognate degrees acceptable to the Joint Board of Examiners in areas that relate to engineering or geoscience. (Cognate degrees are degrees in science such as chemistry, physics, environmental science and other areas but are not degrees in engineering or geoscience).

Under this proposed model individuals only with degrees in engineering or geoscience could apply to APEGA. Individuals applying to APEGA, those most likely to apply as a Limited License would include:

  • Non-Canadian engineering/geoscience degrees that poorly match the syllabus of a Canadian undergraduate degree in engineering or geoscience – narrow degrees (multiple exams assigned).
  • Non-Canadian engineering/geoscience degrees that have been assigned the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to confirm their non-Canadian degree (confirmatory FE exam assigned).
  • Cognate degree plus Masters or Doctor of Philosophy in engineering/geoscience (multiple exams assigned).

The current P.L. and P.Tech. designations give individuals without engineering or geoscience degrees the right to independently practice engineering or geoscience within a limited scope of practice. The education, experience and other requirements to become a P.L. or P.Tech. are very similar, with very minor differences.

This creates confusion among the public, the government, industry, and our Members as to what the difference is between the designations.

It is recommended that the existing P.L. category be eliminated and that all individuals without engineering or geoscience degrees apply for the P.Tech. designation to be administered by ASET and regulated by joint APEGA/ASET statutory boards. These individuals would continue to be able to obtain a license to independently practice engineering or geoscience with a specified scope of practice.

It is also recommended that a new Limited License (L.L.) category of APEGA membership be created for individuals with engineering or geoscience degrees who do not immediately qualify for Professional Engineering (P.Eng.) or Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) designations but who might otherwise be qualified to practice engineering or geoscience within a limited scope of practice.

The new L.L. designation would be particularly relevant to many internationally educated individuals with degrees of narrower breadth compared to Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) degrees and would give them the opportunity to contribute to the Alberta workforce and economy at a level that most appropriately reflects their qualifications.

These individuals could remain as L.L.s for their entire career or they may consider the opportunity to become licensed as professional engineers or geoscientists by completing any additional requirements.

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