Professional Development

News and information about APEGGA's Continuing Professional Development Program.

By Christine Smith

Christine Smith, Coordinator of APEGGA's Continuing Professional Development Program, is based in APEGGA's Calgary office and can be reached by E-mail; christines@apegga.org or by phone 403-262-7714.

SkillScape Competence Manager

The APEGGA SkillScape Competence Manager pilot project was run in the fall. APEGGA volunteers from different industries and various sizes of companies participated. The participants assessed the Internet-based database tool to establish whether it is a tool that should be offered to APEGGA members to help them:

• identify individual scopes of practice (develop a personal skills profile) by searching and selecting skills within the hierarchical database of skills, and
• identify skills that require development.

APEGGA has decided not to pursue the introduction of SkillScape Competency Manager for several reasons, namely:

• Active participation in the pilot by only 19 per cent of those who volunteered was disappointing, suggesting that our members are very busy and would not take advantage of the product if it were available.
• A significant advantage of the product is its ability to match skills gaps with actual learning opportunities. APEGGA believes that this element would be very costly to administer and does not feel that it would be money well spent.
• Some members found the product to be unwieldy to move around and a majority did not recommend it.
• Most of the skills are not yet included in the data base and given the poor participation in the pilot it will be difficult to get members to help in adding valid skills.

APEGGA will continue to evaluate skills tools like this and will communicate them to the members.

website
(www.apegga.org)

The Continuing Professional Development Guideline, complete with downloadable forms became available on the APEGGA website Oct 8. Links to course, seminar and support providers became available Jan. 8.

CPD Questionnaire

Based on member requests, the questionnaire that accompanies the annual dues invoice has been revised, effective for those members who are invoiced in February.

• The initial default value for "Practicing" or "Non-practicing" is now "Practicing" rather than "Unknown".
• The number of fields has been increased to three each, for "Industries of Practice" and "Areas of Specialization". Also, a line has been added to identify new categories not already listed for members who choose the "Other" code.
• The questionnaire has a shaded area which indicates more clearly that the submission of Professional Development Hours is optional at this time.

 

Volunteers

September through December 1997, APEGGA volunteers presented 86 seminars with approximately 2,050 members in attendance. Of the trained volunteer presenters, a core group of presenters have demonstrated their strong commitment to the success of this initiative and consequently have been very active. APEGGA is proud to recognize the following volunteers:

CALGARY:

Graham Campbell, P.Geoph.
Mike Curtin, P.Eng.
Leo Flaman, P.Eng.
Jon Greggs, P.Geol.
Alf Hartling, P.Geol.
Leon Mah, P.Eng.
Shawn Morrison, P.Eng
Cheryl Sandercock, P.Eng.
Peter Savage, P.Geoph.
Marcey Skye, P.Eng.
Ted Wong, P.Geoph.

 

EDMONTON:

Bob Gillis, P.Eng.
Jivan Kayande, P.Eng.
Ibrahim Khan, P.Eng.
Terry Knysh, P.Eng
Todd LeeYuen, P.Eng.
Mickey Mitchell, P.Eng.
Bob Portwood, P.Eng.
Jay Riat, P.Eng.

 

YELLOWHEAD:

Darryl Verheire, P.Eng.

 

FORT McMURRAY:

Kris Kumar, P.Eng.
Prakash Mullick, P.Eng.
Mike Sneath, P.Eng.
Swami Swaminathan, P.Eng.

 

GRANDE PRAIRIE:

Marilyn Cramer, P.Eng.

 

PEACE RIVER:

Bill MacMillan, P.Eng.

 

Status of PD Programs In Provinces & Territories

The following provides a summary of where other provincial Associations stand with regard to adoption and/or implementation of professional development programs.

Newfoundland - implemented January 1998 for all professional members – required reporting to commence in January 1998.

Nova Scotia – estimate September 1998 AGM changes to bylaws.

Prince Edward Island – piloting in 1998 with representative sample with expected implementation of mandatory program for all professional members and members-in-training in 1999.

New Brunswick — voluntary program in place; estimate February 1998 AGM changes to bylaws to move to mandatory program.

Quebec – implemented Professional Inspection Program in 1980 that assesses members’ professional responsibilities, continuing competence and compliance. At present, a committee is reviewing the professional development issue.

Ontario – proposed Professional Excellence Program – includes competence declaration and supporting information with voluntary professional development evaluation program.

Manitoba – pilot project under way with representative sample. Revisions expected. Based on APEGGA model. Back to October AGM 1998 for approval.

Saskatchewan — studying options for a mandatory program.

Alberta – implemented September 1997 for all practicing professional members – rolled out over one year with required reporting of Professional Development Hours to commence September 1998.

British Columbia – pilot project underway with representative sample to obtain member opinion on the issue of monitoring and reporting with expected implementation for all members in 1999.

Northwest Territories – just beginning to investigate the creation of some form of professional development program.

Yukon – have not yet started to investigate.