Council Briefs

New Centre to Honour Dennis Lindberg, P.Eng.

The late Dennis Lindberg, P.Eng., who became seriously ill during his term as APEGGA President (1997-98) and passed away shortly after, will be recognized by dedicating a new APEGGA multi-purpose conference centre in his memory. The centre, which is nearing completion at APEGGA's head office in Scotia Place in Edmonton, will include video-conferencing facilities and will accommodate a wide range of functions such as professional development seminars, discipline hearings and appeals, corporate and member briefings, issue forums, board and committee meetings, receptions and Council meetings. The next APEGGA Council meeting is scheduled to take place in the new centre in November.

AGM/Summit Committee Changes

Terms of reference have been approved for the Summit Awards® Planning Committee and Annual General Conference Committee, which will replace the AGM/Summit Awards® Committee. The committee restructuring reflects the adoption in the last two years of a new format for the Annual General Conference to encompass:

• the Annual General Meeting and AGM Luncheon;
• the Summit Awards® Gala; and
• the Professional Development Conference.

The Summit Awards® Planning Conference's main aim will be to stage the Summit Awards® event. The Annual General Conference Committee will have overall responsibility for the Annual General Conference, including approval of the plan and program for the Summit Awards® events.

Registered Professional Technologists

APEGGA Assistant Director Registration and Compliance Mark Tokarik, LL.B. P.Eng., provided Council with a progress report on the Registered Professional Technologist initiative. He said that APEGGA and the Alberta Society of Engineering Technologists (ASET) are finalizing R.P.T.(Eng.) application material. ASET will establish a nominating committee to screen applications and nominate applicants for registration with APEGGA. Some former members of the APEGGA Board of Examiners will serve on the ASET nominating committee for the next year in order to provide guidance to the committee during the start-up phase. (Please see related article on page 3.)

Millennium Donation

Council has agreed to donate $50,000 to the APEGGA Education Foundation with a view to the funds being applied to provide post-secondary scholarships for children of APEGGA members. Details of the millennium program have yet to be settled.

CCPE Information

Council was informed that the per capita levy through provincial and territorial associations for support of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) will remain at $8.65 for full-paying members, $7.55 for partial-dues paying members and $6.70 for junior members. CCPE will finalize its budget in November. The report to APEGGA Council from CCPE Alberta Director Fred Otto, P.Eng. PhD, also noted that Jim Smith, P.Eng., has been appointed the Alberta/Northwest Territories representative to the Canadian Engineering Qualification Board.

The Canadian Engineering Human Resources Board, another CCPE board, will pursue three major research initiatives in the next three years, covering:

• organization and technological changes in how engineering work is done and the impact of these changes on career paths of professional engineers;
• the impact of information technology and the telecommunication sector on licensure and enforcement; and
• the outlook for engineering work and the importance of imported and exported engineering services.

CCPE is considering a follow-up national Forum on Engineering and Continuing Education. It would be similar to a successful conference of the same kind held earlier this year, under the chairmanship of Noel Cleland P.,Eng., who was elected Vice-Chair of CCPE's Executive Committee at CCPE's Annual Meeting in Yellowknife, N.W.T., in June.

A CCPE working group has been established to develop guidelines to assist regulators, industry, engineers and the public to know when professional engineers should be involved in railway works as defined in the Railway Safety Act.

Business Plan Update Approved

Council has approved an updated version of the Association's business plan. Business Plan 2000 The New Millennium, builds upon and refines earlier business plans approved by Council on an annual basis. Like earlier plans, the latest one includes projections on key initiatives and growth anticipated over five years. The plan outlines the AssociationÕs strategic objectives, relationships with national and provincial associations; current and expected initiatives in registration and compliance, as well as steps being taken relative to professional development, communication and administration (including the provision of Member services).

M.I.T. Program

Subject to final budget approval in November, Council has agreed to enhancements to the Member in Training Program, including developing new seminars focused on development of communication and management skills. The courses will be short (one day or less), inexpensive and of a practical nature (focusing on areas such as oral communication and writing skills). The theme and focus of the seminars respond to information brought forward by a survey of M.I.T.s and employers conducted earlier this year.

The M.I.T. program also will provide periodic reminders to M.I.T.s of experience requirements necessary to obtain professional standing.

Mentoring Guideline

Following a recommendation of the Professional Development Committee and subject to some changes, Council has approved a new APEGGA Mentoring Guideline. The document is intended to be a 'best practices' guideline rather than being overly prescriptive. It is expected that the guideline will be complimented by a service program run through APEGGA branches to recruit, train and recognize mentors. The guideline follows up and builds on a basic M.I.T. mentoring guideline originally produced in 1993.