I need a Road Construction Designation

1. How do I advance from one designation to another?
You will require a combination of road construction work experience and education. Check the Road Construction Application and Guide for details. Once you have all the requirements for the next designation completed, submit a new Work Experience Log.
 
2. How is work experience calculated for the road construction designations?

• Work experience is calculated in “contract years”
• A contract year is defined as six continuous months (or a minimum of 1000 hours) employed in contract administration on MTO contracts in a single calendar year
• Continuous experience in the field and in the office is counted when evaluating experience
• Lay off periods are not counted and constitute an interruption in a contract year
• Vacation periods are not counted as experience but they do not constitute an interruption of a contract year unless they exceed one month in duration
• Applicants are required to provide details regarding employment duration on the Work Experience Log in the form of employment start and end dates. Applicants must also show all periods of layoff as well as any vacation periods. Experience and job duties must be verified by your employer
• In rare cases, prior equivalent work experience may be considered
• Where the duration of experience for a contract year is marginally insufficient the applicant may be asked to document hours worked if it might be to their advantage

For example:

• Working from January 1, until June 30, is one contract year
• Working from January 1, until December 31, is one contract year
• Working from March 15, until September 15, is one contract year
• Working from January 1, until December 31, with 2 weeks’ vacation in July is one contract year
• Working from January 1, until December 31, with 5 weeks’ vacation in July is not a contract year. The vacation period was greater than one month
• Working from January 1, until June 30, with 2 weeks’ vacation in June is not a contract year. The loss of experience time to vacation means there were fewer than 6 months worked
• Working from October 1, until May 31, is not a contract year. 8 continuous months have been worked but not in 1 calendar year
• Working from January 1, until March 30, then a lay-off period from April 1, until July 1, and working again from July 1, until December 31, is not a contract year. Nine months have been worked but not continuously

3. I am a graduate of a civil engineering program; do co-op and/or summer vacation work experience count?
 
No. Any work experience gained before graduation cannot be counted towards road construction experience requirements.
 
4. How is OACETT membership related to the road construction designations?
 
It is impossible for anyone to hold a road construction designation unless they are a member of OACETT. If a road construction member’s OACETT membership lapses for any reason, then their road construction designation is immediately removed.
 
5. How do I join OACETT and become a road construction member?
 
OACETT membership and the road construction designations are two different applications and application processes. There will be two different application fees and two different sets of annual dues. You may submit your road construction application before you are granted OACETT membership, but you will not be given the designation until after you become a member. You must complete all the steps of the OACETT application, read about that process here, and you must submit a road construction application, which you can learn about here.
 
6. OACETT has a certification timeline, how does that affect me as a road construction member?
 
All OACETT members are assigned a certification timeline when they become Associate members. The timeline is either 3 years or 6 years, depending on the results of the initial file review. For road construction members, following their timeline is mandatory. Road construction members must achieve certification (become a C.Tech. or C.E.T.) before their timeline expires or their OACETT membership and road construction designation are immediately removed. How much time (if any) is left in a member’s certification timeline affects many aspects of membership, especially when returning to OACETT after a resignation or expulsion, see question #19 below.
 
7. What are ACEC-O courses? What are OGRA courses?
 
The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Ontario (ACEC-O), formerly Consulting Engineers Ontario (CEO) is the organization that provides road construction advancement courses. In order to advance from rcji to rcsi you must pass the Highway Construction Inspection Course that ACEC-O provides. To advance from rcsi to rcca you must pass ACEC-O’s Contract Administration Course. After becoming an rcca you must take ACEC-O’s Road Construction Contract Administration Recertification course every three years. ACEC-O courses are typically offered once a year, most often in January. It is critical that you register on time.
 
The Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) teaches specialized courses in road construction. If the Admissions Committee determines that your education is insufficient for the designation you applied to, they will assign courses for you to complete. These courses are often taught by the OGRA. For example, your college education may have been sufficient to grant you the rcji designation, but insufficient to advance to rcsi; courses will then be assigned before you can become an rcsi.
  
8. Do I need to take the Highway Construction Inspection Course from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Ontario (ACEC-O) to earn the rcsi designation?
 
Yes, this is a mandatory requirement. Only former MTO employees who meet specific requirements are exempt. If you are a former MTO employee, read the Road Construction Application and Guide to find out if you meet the requirements.
 
9. Do I need to take the Contract Administration Course from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Ontario (ACEC-O) to earn the rcca designation?
 
Yes, this is a mandatory requirement. Only former MTO employees who meet specific requirements are exempt. If you are a former MTO employee, read the Road Construction Application and Guide to find out if you meet the requirements.
 
10. I am an rcji and I took the ACEC-O Contract Administration Course but I have not taken the Highway Construction Inspection Course, what happens now? 

The three road construction designations are a sequential process. It is not possible to become an rcca before gaining experience as an rcsi. You need both courses and experience working as an rcsi before you can advance. To upgrade to rcsi, you must enroll in and pass the Highway Construction Inspection Course.

11. What is the ACEC-O Road Construction Contract Administrator Recertification Course?
 
The recertification course is a mandatory requirement of the rcca designation stipulated by the Ministry of Transportation in agreement with OACETT. Failure to complete the recertification course causes the loss of the rcca designation. MTO is always informed when a member losses their road construction designation.
 
12. If I miss the refresher course, or I no longer want the rcca designation, can I return to being an rcsi?
 
Yes. You must contact OACETT and declare that you wish to be an rcsi. This is not an automatic process. If you do not apply to be an rcsi you will lose the rcca and have no road construction designation. You can return to rcca status by completing the refresher course within one year from the loss of your rcca designation. If more than one year has passed you must apply and take the Contract Administration Course like any other rcsi.
  
13. Can I request an extension to complete the Road Construction Contract Administrator Recertification Course?
 
It is the member’s responsibility to ensure they complete the course and keep their rcca designation current. Extensions are given in extremely rare circumstances such as severe illness or death in the family.
  
14. I am a former Ministry of Transportation employee, how is applying for a road construction designation different for me?
 
Normally, you need experience working as an rcji to apply for the rcsi, and experience as an rcsi to apply for rcca. Only former MTO employees may count their MTO experience against the road construction designation requirements. See the Road Construction Application and Guide for specifics.
 
15. I am a former Ministry of Transportation employee applying for the rcca, when will I have to take the Road Construction Contract Administrator Recertification Course?
 
If you qualify for the rcca, when you must take the recertification course will depend on how long it’s been since you worked in the construction administration field.

• Applicants who worked in the construction administration field within the past year will not need to take the recertification course for 3 years
• Applicants who have not worked in the construction administration field in the past 1-3 years must complete the recertification course within one year of receiving the rcca designation
• Applicants who have not worked in the construction administration field in the past 3 years must complete the recertification course before they will be awarded the rcca designation

16. I am a P.Eng. Do I need a road construction designation?
 
To hold a road construction designation, you must be a member of OACETT. Applying to OACETT as a P.Eng. is a relatively simple process. However, a road construction designation may not be required for you to work on MTO projects. Speak directly to MTO to determine if a road construction designation is necessary for you.
 
17. I am approaching retirement. How does that affect my road construction designation?
 
You must be a full and active member of OACETT to hold a road construction designation. If you transition to an OACETT retired membership you will immediately lose your road construction designation. To maintain your road construction designation, you will need to return to paying full OACETT certification dues (not retirement rate dues) and road construction dues, continue completing OACETT CPD, and if an rcca, the Road Construction Contract Administration Recertification Course.
 
18. If I resign my OACETT membership what happens to my road construction designation?
 
You must be a member in good standing with OACETT to hold a road construction designation. Your road construction designation will be immediately lost. This includes resigning for non-payment of dues. If you decide to return to OACETT membership at a later date you must reapply for a Road Construction designation.
 
19. I am a former road construction member who is no longer an OACETT member. How do I return to OACETT and get a road construction designation again?
 
Reinstating as a road construction member is a seperate and different process from reinstating as a regular OACETT member. Why you are no longer a member and whether or not there is time left in your certification timeline both change the requirements for reinstatement. If you have been resigned from OACETT for 5 years or more, you must begin the application process as a new member.
 
A.   I lost my road construction designation but am still a certified OACETT member. How do I get a road construction designation again?  

Simply reapply for a road construction designation using the Online Member Portal. If your road construction designation was removed because you failed to satisfy the conditions of membership (missed dues, no recertification course etc.), you will need to satisfy those conditions before your designation can be reinstated.

B.   I was a certified OACETT member with a road construction designation, how do I reinstate?  

You will need to reinstate your OACETT membership and reapply for a road construction designation. Reinstating your OACETT membership follows the usual processes that affect all OACETT members, you can read about them here. Road construction designations cannot be simply returned, they require a new application and application fee. 

C.   I was an Associate member with a road construction designation but I failed to comply with my certification timeline, how do I reinstate?

If your road construction designation was removed because you failed to write the PPE or IEPPE before the end of your certification timeline then you can remain an OACETT member, but you may not have a road construction designation until you are certified.
 
If your OACETT membership and road construction designation were removed because you failed to comply with your certification timeline, and you have both the PPE or IEPPE, and academic competencies missing, you may not reinstate your OACETT membership until you provide proof that you have fulfilled either one academic competency or the PPE. At that point you will be allowed to reinstate as an Associate member but you cannot be granted a road construction designation until you become certified.

D.   I was an Associate member with a road construction designation but my membership lapsed for a reason other than failing to comply with my certification timeline, how do I reinstate?

If your OACETT membership was removed for any reason other than failing to comply with your certification timeline (for example, not paying your dues), then your reinstatement process depends on how much time is left in your certification timeline.

If more than 6 months remain in your timeline, then you can reinstate your OACETT membership and reapply for a road construction designation. Your original road construction designation may be returned. Your deadline to certify remains unchanged.
 
If fewer than 6 months remain in your timeline, then you may apply for reinstatement and reapply for a road construction designation. However, you will not automatically be given your original road construction designation again. Your file will be reviewed by the registrar and a new certification deadline may be granted. Typically, this is a small window during which you must quickly certify.