ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019 - 18

New assessment model a game changer
for foreign-trained professionals
Between 2013 and 2015, ASET underwent a transition process in the development and buildout of the competencybased assessment model. This included working with a
psychometric consultant to develop competency tools and
certification examinations.
At a considerable financial investment, ASET's state of the
art, competency-based assessment model was officially
launched in 2016. The only one of its kind in Canada, it offers a unique feature: all examination language is culturally
neutral to ensure that no applicant is likely to misinterpret
colloquial expressions.
"If Divyesh had moved to Alberta prior to 2013, he would have
received an associate membership and been instructed to
go back to school full-time. Thankfully, the timing of his arrival worked to his advantage and he was able to establish a
solid footing in the engineering technology profession - one
that often works on the same projects, even side by side with
professional engineers," said Cavanaugh.

How competency-based assessment works
Foreign-trained professionals now seeking an ASET designation of C.E.T. or certified technologist (C.Tech.) will undergo
an ASET competency assessment. This includes submitting
work experience documents - such as CV, job descriptions,
and references - confirming their work experience locally
and abroad. They then complete a single competency exam
to validate their technical knowledge at the technologist level,
as well as an ethics and law exam.
In some cases, foreign-trained professionals are not able to
access academic documents. For example, if they are refugees from a war zone, their academic institution may have
been destroyed. Or they can't obtain copies without returning
to their country of origin or being forced to deal with a system
of bribery that makes it difficult, even impossible to access
those documents.

18 | WINTER 2019 | TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA

For this reason, ASET established a prior learning assessment (PLAR) model. Foreign-trained professionals seeking
registration and certification with ASET who are unable to
produce academic transcripts may complete a prior learning
assessment and recognition (PLAR) portfolio to demonstrate
equivalency to the academic requirements. PLAR allows for
the evaluation of skills and knowledge obtained outside of
an academic program for the purpose of recognizing professional competence, and also usually involves certification
exams that test for the educational standard.

ASET's good works spotlighted
during Bill 11 announcement
Last June, when the Alberta government announced the Fair
Registration Practices Act, ASET was one of only two provincial regulators invited to attend a round table session with the
Premier and the Minister of Labour and Immigration.
For ASET, it meant that the rest of Alberta was going where it
had already gone before: establishing and implementing fully
objective criteria for certification, and creating a level playing field for all Alberta engineering technology professionals,
including those from other countries.
Having been recognized by the Alberta government for setting a positive example with its modern and far-sighted approach to foreign-trained professionals - including implementing high standards of fairness for admission practices
- ASET applauded the government initiative, hoping it will
make newcomers to Alberta feel as supported in working
in other professions as ASET members already do in their
own.

ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019