Council Update - March 2017

•    OACETT’s president and president-elect will take part in an all-president’s meeting for ten provincial associations in March, a first after several years of estrangement. The gathering will provide an opportunity to build relations, promote the exchange of ideas, explore common ground and identify possible areas of collaboration.

•    The Secretary-Treasurer reported that OACETT ended 2016 with25,238 active members, 17,907 (or 71 per cent) of whom are certified. A total of 1,218 college student applications were received in 2016, an increase of 100 applications over 2015. 

•    Council approved amendments to the OACETT Workplace Violence Policy and Workplace Harassment Policy to include examples of what constitutes both types of behaviour. These changes come in the wake of the Ontario Government’s introduction of Bill 168, an act to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to violence and harassment in the workplace and other matters. OACETT staff and volunteers will be asked to learn about this new legislation through online training.

•    Council approved the new Technology Professionals Canada (TPC)/Technology Accreditation Canada Delegation and Funding Agreements and authorized OACETT’s president to sign the documents at the TPC Leadership Council meeting March 30 in Calgary.  Both agreements provide accountability for proper use of members’ money.

•    Council received an update on plans for marking OACETT’s 60th anniversary, including magazine coverage, social media conversation, logo development and recognition at this year’s Annual General Meeting, which will take place in the Town of the Blue Mountains from June 1-3.

•    The VP of IETO reported that certification numbers spiked in 2016 due to a particularly high number of members (1,087) who wrote the Professional Practice Exam (PPE) last year. Tightening-up the timeframe to write and the introduction of an extension fee encouraged members to complete this important step towards certification

•    OACETT’s director of government relations reported that three OACETT members have been selected to serve on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs’ Building Code Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) to review and evaluate proposed Building Code changes for Parts 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 12. Members participating on these TACs are Dennis Martin, A.Sc.T. – Part 9 (houses & small buildings); Lisa Miller-Way, C.E.T., L.E.T. – Part 3 (large & complex buildings); and Shervin Reyhani, C.E.T. – Part 4 (structural design).

•    Richard Baldin, Niagara College; Victor Bravo, Sheridan College; Kerry Johnston, Humber College; Ian Kilborn, St. Lawrence College; and Greg Matzke, Mohawk College were announced as the 2017 recipients of OACETT’s Teaching and Technology Transfer Grant. The grant was established to provide financial assistance to Ontario college faculty teaching in OACETT-recognized engineering technology and applied science programs, to attend a conference, workshop, seminar or symposium that will promote enhanced excellence in technology education and technology transfer with direct benefits to students, industry and OACETT membership at large.

Polls are currently open, and all certified members are encouraged to vote in the election of representatives on Council. Meet your candidates and register your vote here.

For background documents from the February Council meeting, visit OACETT’s website under News and Announcements.  As always, your comments, suggestions and concerns are appreciated. Please contact me at president@oacett.org.

Bob van den Berg, C.E.T.
President