COUNCIL CHANGES INCLUSIVITY DIRECTION

After about 18 months of consultation with members and the Board of Examiners, APEGGA’s Inclusivity Initiative is taking a new direction – one that doesn’t point to a new category of membership. Because most members are against it, the option of creating a category left the table in a unanimous Council vote, Sept. 22.

Four Ipsos Reid focus groups suggest that perhaps 90 per cent of members want APEGGA to address Inclusivity issues by modifying Board of Examiners policies. This should happen with an eye for improving admittance rates to the full professional categories of membership.

Council decided to halt further Inclusivity consultation and stand down the Inclusivity Consultation Group, chaired by President-Elect Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng., and including representatives from the Board of Examiners.
Focus groups rejected the creation of a category between Registered Professional Technologist and the full professional designations of P.Eng., P.Geol. and P.Geoph. Interestingly, the groups also said that maintaining the status quo is not the right course for APEGGA, either.

Says the consultation group’s report: “Members believe that membership should be reserved for those whose capabilities exceed a certain ‘bar’ of competency, as demonstrated  by their education and/or experience. They are suspect of any change that can be perceived as ‘lowering the bar.’

“Members are not convinced that extending the obligation of self-regulation to non-professionals working in the professions would result in a lower risk to the public. They are satisfied that the current model requiring non-professionals to work under the supervision of a professional member is providing the public with the expected level of protection.”

Read the Inclusivity Consultation Group White Paper.