Engineering regulators sign agreement to strengthen collaboration and harmonization
On May 23, 2024, Canada’s 12 engineering regulators across the country, including the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG), gathered to sign a National Statement of Collaboration to further expand their partnership. The signing ceremony took place in Winnipeg as part of Engineers Canada’s 2024 Spring Meetings and Annual Meeting of Members.
The National Statement of Collaboration reflects regulators’ renewed commitment to proactively work together to address national and international barriers to mobility for engineers and engineering entities, further advancing public safety and increasing regulatory efficiency.
“The signing of the statement marks a pivotal step forward for engineering regulation in Canada,” said Nancy Hill, B.A.Sc., LL.B., FCAE, FEC, P. Eng., President of Engineers Canada. “Through our collective commitment to collaboration, we strengthen our ability to uphold high standards of practice, promote public safety, and foster an equitable engineering environment for current and future engineers in each jurisdiction.”
This agreement stems from a priority identified in Engineers Canada’s 2022-2024 Strategic Plan that aimed to work with regulators to understand barriers and success factors leading to harmonization and facilitate the adoption of a national agreement to establish the principles and areas where pan-Canadian harmonization will be sought.
Collaboration has been foundational to advancing engineering in Canada. Over the years, regulators have demonstrated their dedication to collaboration through programs and initiatives such as the development and implementation of the accreditation system, which ensures quality level education regardless of where the engineering education is pursued in the country. Regulators have also collectively adopted the competency-based assessment, a tool that defines the competencies to practice engineering across Canada. These achievements are a testament to notable collaboration. The Statement of Collaboration aims to strengthen these efforts for the benefit of the profession and the public we serve.
“Thank you to everyone who made this work come to life – regulators, the Collaboration Task Force, and Engineers Canada,” said Hill. “As we move forward, sharing knowledge and exchanging best practices, I am confident that this work will help forge a path forward towards a stronger, more innovative future for engineering in Canada.”