APEGA Members Vote in Support of Extension of General Regulation Expiry Date
Over a one-week period, from November 3–10, 2020, APEGA members voted electronically to approve an amendment to Section 79.1 of the General Regulation to extend the expiry date by five years to September 30, 2026.
The General Regulation establishes registration criteria to ensure only properly qualified, educated, and ethical engineers and geoscientists are licensed to practise, and that individuals who do not meet these stringent requirements are not entitled to become, to practise as, or to call themselves professional engineers, professional geoscientists, or professional licensees. It also includes the Code of Ethics, the continuing professional development requirements to ensure up-to-date competency, and the registration criteria for licensing permit holder companies practicing engineering and geoscience.
The extension of the expiry date enables the continued self-regulation of the engineering and geoscience professions in Alberta while APEGA works with the Government of Alberta to proclaim a modernized Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act. The Act has not been significantly updated for nearly 40 years.
The certified results of this electronic vote show that APEGA members are strongly in favour of extending the expiry date of the General Regulation: 96.7 per cent of votes cast supported the amendment. Nearly 17 per cent of APEGA’s eligible voting members participated in the vote—more than 9,700 licensed professionals.
“An extension of the General Regulation is important to continue to protect the public while providing adequate time for the government to renew the legislation,” said Jay Nagendran, P.Eng., APEGA registrar and chief executive officer. “We have been working with stakeholders since 2014 to bring forward more than 160 recommended changes that will improve and modernize the Act.”
“As we wrap up a year of centennial celebrations at APEGA, this was an important step to move the professions forward,” said John Van der Put, P.Eng., APEGA president. “This vote shows that our licensed professionals understand the implications of the General Regulation and the EGP Act, and the importance of self-regulation in general.”
For more information on the General Regulation vote, please visit apega.ca/GenRegVote.