Ongoing YYCCC (Chu + Farkas) Transgressions Threat

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by timun

I know this is a divergent topic not really appropriate for the "YYCCC" thread, but foreign-trained engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. have to substantiate their credentials. I have little sympathy for the "taxi driver who used to be a bank executive or an engineer", because by our standards their qualifications aren't up to snuff. It's far too easy in India and China in particular to get a diploma from some degree mill.

Lots of people in that situation with the hustle to make it work though. I have an engineering degree, and I took a grad school engineering class as an elective in my 4th year in the evenings. There was about 20 people in the class. A couple of undergrads including myself taking it as an elective, a couple of grad students working on masters degrees, and about 15 foreign trained engineers taking domestic courses to prove competence to APEGA. Demographics was probably ages 30-50, from all over the world.

[timun]

My experience was much the same when I took introductory micro and macroeconomics. It's an engineering degree requirement, and about half my class on Tuesday and Thursday nights years and years ago were foreign-trained engineers doing this modicum of academic upgrading.

I have lots of colleagues from all over the place—(Mainland) China, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Iran—and they had no issue proving their credentials.

Granted, I also had a Czech colleague who did have problems, because the education system in communist Czechoslovakia was quite different. Still works full-time as an engineer, just doesn't have a stamp of his own.

[Weitz]

Where did you go to school that those were engineering requirements?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by timun

I know this is a divergent topic not really appropriate for the "YYCCC" thread, but foreign-trained engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. have to substantiate their credentials. I have little sympathy for the "taxi driver who used to be a bank executive or an engineer", because by our standards their qualifications aren't up to snuff. It's far too easy in India and China in particular to get a diploma from some degree mill.

Some credentials have a reasonable bar to validate. APEGA is a giant scam that seems more worried about revenues than anything else.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Where did you go to school that those were engineering requirements?

The University of Calgary. It's a degree requirement of all engineering degrees in Canada accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board...

[wireframe]

Originally Posted by timun

The University of Calgary. It's a degree requirement of all engineering degrees in Canada accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board...

It was also a requirement for my engineering degree at UBC (grad 2011).

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by timun

The University of Calgary. It's a degree requirement of all engineering degrees in Canada accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board...

Micro and macroeconomics? I don’t recall taking them at the U of A unless I’m really crazy. Was over 10 years ago though.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by wireframe

It was also a requirement for my engineering degree at UBC (grad 2011).

Engineering economics has been a part of the accredited program for a long time. I think the most interesting thing I got out of it was when we did lease/buy/finance analysis for a fleet of company trucks.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Micro and macroeconomics? I don’t recall taking them at the U of A unless I’m really crazy. Was over 10 years ago though.

I also graduated 10+ years ago.

You absolutely did do an econ course, otherwise you wouldn't have received your degree. It has been a CEAB requirement for a long time.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by timun

I also graduated 10+ years ago.

You absolutely did do an econ course, otherwise you wouldn't have received your degree. It has been a CEAB requirement for a long time.

Huh, I honestly can’t remember. I’m curious now. Will have to take a look.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Some credentials have a reasonable bar to validate. APEGA is a giant scam that seems more worried about revenues than anything else.

What makes you say this?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

What makes you say this?

If my professional dues weren’t paid by my employer, I probably wouldn’t be a member. Maybe it depends on what specific industry you’re in, but it does very little for the tech and computer engineering sectors.

[CaptainYooh]

Maintaining membership is necessary if you want to practice engineering for a whole bunch of good reasons all related to public safety. If what you do doesn't fall under the Act, then you don't' have to be a member; it's that simple. I was shocked to see a a post above about APEGA being "a giant scam". If the poster is not an APEGA member, perhaps, there could be a discussion held. If he is an APEGA member, then such a statement could be a reason for losing one's license and the question would be WTF are you even talking about?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

If he is an APEGA member, then such a statement could be a reason for losing one's license and the question would be WTF are you even talking about?

Ha, you just pointed out another way it sucks. Criticize APEGA for objectively sucking? Lose your license, can't work.

Meanwhile, filing a complaint against a member for failing to uphold the professional standards of practice is met with as much enthusiasm as a complaint about a dock worker to a mob affiliated union boss.

I'm a former member. I cancelled. Because they weren't providing any value for the eleventy hundred dollars they wanted from me every year to do... nothing. I also find their approach to immigrant engineers completely protectionist. The process is long, expensive, and acts like no one outside of Canada is capable of competent work.

That's WTF I'm even talking about.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Ha, you just pointed out another way it sucks. Criticize APEGA for objectively sucking? Lose your license, can't work.

Meanwhile, filing a complaint against a member for failing to uphold the professional standards of practice is met with as much enthusiasm as a complaint about a dock worker to a mob affiliated union boss.

I'm a former member. I cancelled. Because they weren't providing any value for the eleventy hundred dollars they wanted from me every year to do... nothing. I also find their approach to immigrant engineers completely protectionist. The process is long, expensive, and acts like no one outside of Canada is capable of competent work...

Yes, it is protectionist and yes, it is the only way it should be. Even those who pass APEGA certification process need a few years to adjust and adapt to Canadian engineering standards of design and practice (in civil engineering area, anyway). I've known quite a few engineers who stopped paying dues, because they didn't need the stamp for what they were doing. Sure, I understand the reasons. But APEGA's role is to create, maintain and oversee the standards of practice, which is exactly the benefit its members and the public get out of it. It is not the other way around (i.e. what do I get for my $400/year license fee). I am not being sanctimonious; just honestly surprised at your stance on this.

[bizaro86]

I have stamped exactly zero documents my entire career. They'll be prying that certification from my cold dead hands though. I pay my $400 (personally) every year even though I really don't need it.

[Weitz]

I hadn’t stamped anything until the last 6 months or so when they significantly changed the stamping requirements. Or at least they did according to my company and sector.

[craigwd]

If I was judging by lawn signs, Dan McLean has ward 13 in the bag.
Literally rows and rows of them in Evergreen and Shawnessy.
I get that DCU should be replaced but how does golf-cart man, whose platform is "I'm against libraries and Blue Rings and I would have laid people off during a pandemic" get to be so popular all of a sudden?

[PsYcNeT]

Manning Centra money buys a lot of signs.

Expect all the horrible candidates with 0 real ideas other than "SPENDING BAD! GRRR NENSHI!" to have the most signs this time around.

[Mazrim]

I originally thought Dan McLean was a joke candidate because he went with the most generic, tired slogan of all time: "It's time for change".