Responding to BC’s Proposed Credentials Legislation

Yesterday, the Government of British Columbia introduced a bill that aims to streamline the registration process for internationally educated professionals and attract more skilled professionals to BC. The proposed legislation (Bill 38) would apply to 29 professions and their regulatory bodies, including Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

“Supporting international mobility has always been important to Engineers and Geoscientists BC,” said Heidi Yang, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer. “As a regulator, it’s our job to ensure the public is protected through a strong admissions process that ensures only those who are qualified can practice engineering or geoscience – regardless of whether they were educated here in BC or elsewhere in the world.”

Alongside other regulators, Engineers and Geoscientists BC has been providing feedback to government on this proposed legislation for several months. The organization is pleased to see several of its established processes recognized in this legislation as the standard regulators should meet.

Engineers and Geoscientists BC has already introduced several processes that align well with the proposed Act – including removing time-bound requirements for Canadian environment work experience, flexibility in English language proficiency assessment, and mutual recognition agreements with professional regulators in other countries. Our competency-based assessment framework has also been adopted by other engineering and geoscience regulators in multiple provinces.

As one of the largest professional regulators in British Columbia, Engineers and Geoscientists BC looks forward to continued work with government to comprehensively understand the impacts of this proposed legislation. As this work progresses, we will keep registrants and applicants informed.

The proposed International Credentials Recognition Act now moves to second reading in the House, the stage at which elected representatives will debate Bill 38.