Ontario changes rules to help foreign-trained engineers

Professional Engineers Ontario has announced several changes to the Act governing members. From February 28 amendments to the Professional Engineers Act and Regulation 941 came into effect which will allow PEO to grant provisional licences to those who have qualified in all the standard provisions for an engineering licence except having 12 months of engineering experience in Canada. The PEO press release indicates that this change will benefit both Ontario employers and foreign-trained engineering practitioners.
It also notes that the provisional licensee’s work still has to be done under the supervision of a professional engineer.
Other changes include opening up engineer disciplinary hearings to the public and the institution of an appeals process over decisions related to giving licenses. From now on seals and licence certificates will be inscribed with the engineer’s licence number. As well, holders of PEO limited licences will no longer have to name their employer on their licence certificate or seal.
The changes implement the last of the recommendations made in a 1998 task force that looked at Admissions, complaints, Discipline and Enforcement.
Professional Engineers Ontario licences 65,000 professional engineers.