Council approved amendments to the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program document at its April 3, 2020 meeting. These changes and updates were made based on feedback received from members and lessons learned during the 2019 launch year of the CPD program to make requirements clearer and to add details on the remediation program. Here’s a summary of the changes:
- Clarification that the CPD program applies to all APEGS members, regardless of their country of residence.
- Clarification that involvement in the APEGS CPD Program is required from the time an applicant becomes a member. Activities undertaken prior to being an APEGS member do not qualify.
- Inclusion of requirements for CPD upon reinstatement, aligned with the 9 reinstatement cases described on the APEGS website. Added a new Table 2.
- Clarification and guidance on defining a Scope of Practice.
- Clarification that annual CPD activities are to be completed between January 1 and December 31, but the reporting deadline is January 31 of the following year.
- Clarification on the calculation of pro-rated credits for members that join part way through the year.
- Clarification of credits attainable for post-secondary studies (Formal Activity).
- More examples of what can be included in the various activity categories.
- Inclusion of credits that can be claimed for the publication of a technical textbook (Contribution to Knowledge).
- Correction to Table 4 (now Table 5) – who can check the box “reported elsewhere”.
- Clarification on how to bank excess credits and use them in future years.
- Clarification on credit requirements for members on a license waiver for part of the calendar year.
- Addition of sections to describe credit requirements for members working part-time and for members with retroactive fee remissions.
- Provision of more detailed information on the variation application and approval process.
- Addition of a new section that provides details on the remediation program, including an example of a completed form in Appendix G.
- Provision of more details around the CPD review program (compliance and assurance reviews).
The current CPD program document is available at apegs.ca on the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) page under the CPD menu.
Your CPD responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic
APEGS has been receiving inquiries as to why the CPD program has not been suspended given the COVID-19 situation. The CPD Compliance Committee met March 30 and decided against it because CPD activities were to be completed between January 1 and December 31, 2019 and reporting was to be completed by January 31, 2020, both well before the COVID-19 situation had an impact.
The CPD Compliance Committee also discussed the requirements for 2020 given the pandemic situation. It was decided to not make any changes at this time. There are many online training options available to members, some at reduced rates or for free. Additionally, a large portion of the CPD program is achieved through professional practice, regardless of whether that practice takes place working from the office, on-site, or remotely from home.
For training opportunities, visit apegs.ca:
- Events listing on APEGS’ homepage
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) page under the CPD menu
- Online ethics modules under the CPD menu
Members are also encouraged to research other training opportunities related to their specific CPD plan and scope of practice.