ASET Technology Alberta Fall 2022 - 8

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
ASET forward - where do we stand?
Barry Cavanaugh
ASET FORWARD, our initiative to take the message
to government about recognition,
respect, and right
to
practice, is our opportunity to make clear to government
in Alberta what the role of science and engineering technologists
should be. After all, this profession has been in a
semi-suspended state of recognition since the early 1960s.
With the 1963 registration of the Society by the leadership
of APEGA, it became clear that a new profession in the engineering
and geoscience world had emerged. This partly
came from the growing complexity of the world around us.
It came as well from the Alberta government of the day's
recognition, seen through new educational programs at the
polytechnic institutes and colleges to equip Albertans with
the knowledge to support this new profession.
Ironically, the legislation did not recognize what government's
own advanced education ministry did... and has not
to this day. That's despite the many thousands of science
and engineering technologists now, supporting Albertans in
21 disciplines and usually working independently or in collaboration
with professional engineers. These technologists
have often been referred to as practical engineers, or as the
bridge between professional engineers and the trades. But
where is the legislation that legitimizes that reality? Why has
ASET been seeking that legislation for nearly 60 years?
In 2007, the Alberta government took a step forward, and
included the ASET professions in the Engineering and
Geoscience Professions Act. However, it stopped short of
defining the engineering or geoscience technologist or describing
the scope of the practice of such a technologist.
Instead, it set out the obligations of a professional, such as
discipline, continuing education, ethical standards and the
like... but essentially made the regulation of a member voluntary
under the Act (and it should be noted that despite
that voluntariness, some 17,000 ASET members have a high
enough standard of professionalism to voluntarily register).
In something of a compromise, the Act created a new category
of professional technologist engineering. It gave an
ASET/APEGA joint board the right to assign a scope of practice
to individuals for work described, ironically, as within the
very range or scope within which ASET has maintained all
members are qualified to practice. The fact that today there
are some 800 plus such P.Tech.(Eng.) members licensed
only substantiates that virtually every ASET technologist
who applies to that joint board is seen as fit to practice within
that scope or definition. ASET maintains rigorously that
all technologists registered and in good standing are qualified
to practice at that level, and should finally be honestly
recognized for that.
Alberta is entering into a new phase of
growth and economic recovery, and
employers across the board know that
ASET's professionals will be needed
more than ever. ASET technologists and
technicians play an integral role across
Alberta's industries, government and
infrastructure, delivering high-quality
work while ensuring projects are on time
and on budget.
The role of the technologist often involves public safety, and
in almost every case should require the level of competence
and accountability that accompany the ASET designations.
It is not in the public interest to allow an unqualified or unregulated
practice by anyone holding themselves out to be
a technologist. The public is entitled to know that such a
person is held to a high standard of education, competence
and quality.
8 | FALL 2022 | TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA
ASET Technology Alberta Fall 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASET Technology Alberta Fall 2022
