4. LIFELONG PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

4.2. Continuing Education for Professional Engineers

• The rapid changes which are occurring in all aspects of engineering require that each professional engineer have a program of continuing education and updating of expertise.

• Each program should be designed, not only to maintain and extend the area of current employment expertise, but also to maintain a sufficient breadth to adjust to potential changes in technology, markets or career path.

• Continuing education for professional engineers may include a wide range of activities such as technical conferences, independent study, in-house courses, seminars, formal graduate courses, workshops, correspondence courses.

• The subject matter of appropriate continuing education activities may be in a wide range of areas such as science, technology, management, the environment, the economy or the society.

• The primary responsibility for maintaining professional competence rests with the individual engineer.

• Each professional engineer should play an active role in an appropriate technical society.

• Employers should accept some responsibility for maintaining the competence of their professional engineering employees. Much has been invested in these people. An enlightened policy might provide for at least 5% of the employed time to be allocated to continuing education activities. This can not only protect that investment but also provide a high return.

• Engineering faculties and technical societies should cooperate in providing specialized courses for practising engineers using a variety of media such as video lectures and demonstrations, television programming, satellite transmissions, and designated distinguished lecturers.

• Groupsof companies with similar interests should consider forming consortia to mount suitable continuing education programs in cooperation with universities, technical societies, manufacturers associations and consultants.

• Governments should recognize that upgrading of our current engineering workforce is critically important in addressing the issues of competitiveness and sustainability. The provision of infrastructure to deliver continuing education programs would be a prudent investment. Also, tax incentives might be considered.

• Professional engineering associations in Canada should consider introducing a formal requirement for evidence of appropriate education and development activity by each engineer as a condition of continued registration.

RECOMMENDATION 38: Each professional engineer should have a program of continuing education and updating of expertise, including an active role in an appropriate technical society.

RECOMMENDATION 39: All employers should provide opportunity, encouragement, allocation of time and financial support for appropriate programs of maintaining the competence and flexibility of their professional engineering employees.

RECOMMENDATION 40: Professional engineering associations in cooperation with technical societies, universities and industrial organizations should introduce a program of recognizing participation in appropriate continuing education activities by professional engineers, with a view to making adequate participation one element in a review process required for continued professional registration.