APEGS Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
About APEGS
APEGS stands for the Association of Professional Engineers & Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. It is located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and a member of Engineers Canada. It sets a high standard for engineers and geoscientists to become licensed professionals. APEGS also investigates allegations of professional misconduct or professional incompetence of members and takes necessary action against them. It prevents illegal practice of engineering and geoscience by unlicensed individuals. There are 34 competencies assigned for APEGS Canada. These are categorical groupings of skills and competencies. The seven categories represent the essential areas in which engineers from all fields show their expertise.
The APEGS (CPD) Continuing Professional Development establishes a benchmark. Members will assess their ongoing professional development activities against that. This program offers tools to analyze requirements, plan programs, recording and report activities.
Many APEGS members surpass the minimum requirements in this program. A member probably getting help from their employer, will be better capable of evaluating and fulfilling their CPD requirements. Moreover, training and educational plans developed using employer processes are acceptable for use as a CPD plan.
The CPD Program offers a tremendous amount of flexibility and plans that are tailored to fulfill each member’s particular requirements. Members’ special circumstances can be accommodated by requesting a program variation or banking CPD credits.
A member is motivated to take up activities that offer huge benefits to them in the practice of their profession. The CPD program is set up under the APEGS Council, which is under the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act, ss. 15 and 16(2) (j). The CPD Compliance Committee, also called, CPDCC administers the CPD program on APEGS’s behalf.
To every APEGS member:
The CPD program fulfills APEGS’s statutory needs and the professional obligations of its members. Section 5 of The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act mentions that the aims of the Association are:
- To make sure that competency and proficiency of members in the practice of professional engineering or the practice of professional geoscience. It is to safeguard the public.
- Regulating the practice of professional engineering and the practice of professional geoscience by all members as per this Act and bylaws;
- Promotion and enhancement of the proficiency and competency of members
- To promote the practice of professional engineering and the practice of professional geoscience by members in a way leading to the public interest.
Subsections A, C and part D speak directly to the requirement for a CPD Program.
As well, Subsection 20(2)(d) of the Regulatory Bylaws (the code of ethics) needs an APEGS member to stay updated. Being so, they can maintain their competence and work hard to advance the body of knowledge. It will also help them practice and offer opportunities for the professional development of their juniors.
Section 23.2 of the Regulatory Bylaws offers an outline for the CPD Program of the APEGS. The outline includes reporting and participation needs. Appendix 5 of the Regulatory Bylaws offers the minimum criteria for the CPD Program. Furthermore, it also offers the base which is expanded upon in this program.
Benefits of CPD for members:
The public expects greater accountability from a professional. It hopes the professionals immerse themself in learning to make sure that they are working in favour of public health, safety and welfare. Whereas a well-rounded is necessary to the public. It also has some benefits to the member.
CPD program benefits:
Providing an opportunity to yearly pay attention to career objectives.
Helping in justifying requests for extra training.
Keeping track of CPD activities assists in CV updating.
The record can be utilized to set up credibility with peers and employers.
Updating and enhancing skills show flexibility and adaptability.
It helps in mobility between provincial jurisdictions.
Completion of the requirements provides networking opportunities.
Role of the employer in CPD:
APEGS encourages an employer to support the CPD efforts of their employees. A member should talk about their professional development aims to their employer, mentor or supervisor. Through discussion and agreement, the member and their employer can decide on professional development activities. Apart from that, they can also decide on the standard and type of employer support.
The employer support must include the following among other things:
- Consultation with the employee in their CPD program development.
- Provision of learning opportunities.
- Help in developing job responsibilities and expectations.
- Periodic review of employee progress and performance.
- Including CPD into yearly performance reviews.
- Help in documenting activities and levels of effort through company performance and management systems.
- Financial support of activities.
- Giving time to take part in activities.
- Encouraging the employee for life-long learning.
- Encouragement of the professional development of the employee.
An employer plays a huge role in defining requirements. However, it is the responsibility of the individual member to develop a CPD and maintain competence.
Tips for APEGS work reporting:
The following are the tips for a successful APEGS work experience reporting:
Acquire the designing work when working on enlisting an architect in-preparing.
Recording all work understanding and executing expert advancement exercises in a configuration, enough to build affiliation.
No need to pick up Canadian work understating before you apply to a participated designing relationship. A wide range of methods can be conceded meanwhile.
Why APEGS report faces rejection:
The following are the reasons for the negative assessment of an APEGS report:
Unacceptable experience:
your work experience must be valid and sufficient. You should take advice from an APEGS report writing expert before you apply.
Incomplete word count in situation, action and outcome sections of all elements:
Each part of the report has to be of sufficient word count.
Generic information:
The authority is interested to know about you in detail to assess you properly. So, give them specific and relevant information.
Confusing statements:
The statements you give them must be clear and point-to-point.
Incomplete description of the technical situation:
The description of the technical situation must be complete to facilitate assessment.
Invalid validators:
Your validators must be valid. If having any confusion here, contact a professional.
Writing a report on your own:
Such competency demonstration reports are very demanding and delicate. A minor flaw becomes a major reason for rejection. So, put your ego aside, and hire an APEGS report writing expert.
