Professional Practice refers to the way an engineer or geoscientist does his or her work. Laws, professional standards, economic considerations, environmental conditions and other considerations vary from one jurisdiction to another. Therefore what is considered to be appropriate professional practice in one country or jurisdiction may not be considered appropriate in another.

You do not need to know everything about BC professional practice before you start to work in BC. However, you should be able to tell employers that you understand the importance of professional practice, that you have learned the basics of BC professional practice and that you are aware of what you need to continue to learn.

Codes, Standards, Guidelines, Regulations, etc.

In BC, anyone practicing engineering or geoscience must follow the Engineers and Geoscientists Act . Members of APEGBC must also follow the Bylaws of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC and the Code of Ethics. The Guideline to the Code of Ethics provides explaination on how to follow the Code of Ethics.

You will need to learn and understand what laws, codes, guidelines, standards and regulations apply to your area of pratice in BC and become familiar with them. Many different organizations issue regulations that will be relevant to your work. For example:

• APEGBC publishes guidelines that apply to all engineers and geoscientists (e.g. Professional Practice Guidelines and Guidelines for Sustainability) and others that are discipline-specific (e.g. Guideline for Geotechnical Engineering Services for Building Projects).
• Different levels of government publish documents specific to engineers and geoscientists and to specific industries. For example, structural engineers must know the BC Building Code, municipal engineers must understand the municipal by-laws for the town for which they are doing work, and engineers and geoscientists working in contaminated sites must be familiar with contaminated sites legislation.
• Government agencies like the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Environment Canada issue many regulations, standards and guidelines.
• Engineers Canada and the Geoscientists Canada issue some guidelines and are a good resource for finding information about documents issued by others.
• There are other sources of regulations. Geoscientists working in mineral exploration, for example, must comply with standards issued by the Canadian Securities Administrators.

There are many ways to find out what you need to know. Put your LMI research skills to use: do some web searches, talk to people, join a technical association, and search trade journals.

Environmental Considerations

It is important to know the environment in which you will be working. For example, some areas of BC are in a high seismic zone and this influences the way buildings are designed; if your engineering or geoscience work impacts vegetation or wildlife, you must be familiar with the plants and animals that live in BC. Local weather conditions such as excessive rain, freezing or heat must also be considered.

Economic Considerations

Economics plays a key roll in how you do your work. For example, you may have used a building material that was locally available in your home country. That same material may not be affordable or available in Canada and a substitute material may need to be used instead. All applicants for Professional Membership with APEGBC take a course in engineering or geoscience economics. If they have not taken this course, they may take the APEGBC engineering or geoscience economics examination. A past economics examination is available on the APEGBC website and may help you understand the economic considerations you should be aware of.

Occupational Health and Safety

Other regulations dictate the safety precautions you must take when working and designing work for others. WorkSafe BC is a good place to learn about the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Guidelines and the Workers Compensation Board Standards. These regulations will inform you of , for example, what protective clothing you must wear when working in a lab and what precautions you must take when entering a mine.

Law and Legal Concepts

Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists are legally responsible for their work and the engineering and geoscience work of people they supervise. You will need to learn the basics about the Canadian legal system, contract law, tort law, intellectual property, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, liability insurance and other areas of law associated with your area of practice.

Continuing Competence

Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists are only licensed to perform work with in their scope of practice. For example, a Professional Geoscientist trained as a geologist must not take responsibility for geotechnical work.

Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists are also responsible for keeping themselves updated on new technology and codes within thier area of practice. This is referred to as Continuing Professional Development (CPD). In some countries and occupations, employers decide what training the employee requires and ensures that the employee gets that training. In Canada, individual engineers and geoscientists identify the training they need and arrange to get that training.

Engineers and geoscientists should write their training needs down in a continuing professional development plan and should follow their plan. If the individual is employed, they should discuss their plan with their supervisor who may provide feedback, allow the individual to take training courses during work hours and even pay for some courses. If they are not employed, they must take the initiative to ensure they follow their plan. As you prepare to establish your career in BC, your Career Development Plan will look almost exactly like a CPD plan and can serve both purposes.

There is more to CPD than taking courses. CPD means learning - by whatever means necessary. Most CPD plans include a variety of formal and informal activities such as courses, attendance at conferences, participation in committees and reading industry magazines and relevant textbooks.

Continually learning ensures that engineers and geoscientists maintain a high standard of professional competence within their field of practice.Maintaining a continuing professional development plan will help you make sure your skills are up to date and suited to the BC job market so that you are able to compete for the job you want.

You can visit the CPD section of the APEGBC website to learn more about CPD and to register for courses provided by APEGBC.

Upgrading your Professional Practice Skills

To become licensed as a Professional Engineer or Professional Geoscientist, individuals must fulfill two requirements related to Professional Practice:

• Completion of The Professional Practice Examination; and
• Attendance at The Law and Ethics Seminar.

Even if you do not intend to apply for Professional Membership, studying the Professional Practice Examination materials and attending the Law and Ethics Seminar can teach you a great deal about what you need to know to work in engineering or geoscience in BC.

You can order the Professional Practice Exam study kit from APEGBC or look for the books included in the study kit at a public library. You can attend the two-day Law and Ethics Seminar in person in the Lower Mainland or purchase the CD-ROM which is a recorded version of the course.

First-Hand Advice

From Employers, Professional Engineers and Technologists:

• Develop good basic knowledge of the following professional practices:  tenders and contracts, safety standards, local conditions, seismic training, and professional code of ethics. Related knowledge and skills in these areas (i.e. complimentary or equivalent experience elsewhere) are also valuable and should be communicated to employers.
• Good technical knowledge is a basic requirement.   However, you will have a better chance at getting an entry-level engineering position with additional skills and knowledge in conceptual design, knowledge of local codes, building or jobsite knowledge and communication skills.

From Internationally Trained Engineers:

• Take the time to become familiar with the Code standards in your field.   They are available at public libraries and on the Internet.
• An engineer has to become immersed in the engineering society and also in the way that a professional has to proceed in order to search for an engineering job.

Career Development and Job-Search Plan

Open your Career Development and Job-Search Document and go to the LMI Worksheet. Using the information and links provided here and elsewhere, answer the questions in the LMI-SKILL AREA "Professional Practice Skills" section.

Next, go to the Skills Self-Assessment Worksheet and rate your ability in the "Professional Practice Skills " section. It is essential that you are honest with yourself when completing this self-assessment. If you are not honest in answering these questions, your Career Development and Job-Search Plan will not be a useful tool for you.

Finally, go to the Skills Summary Worksheet and follow the instructions there. Complete the "Professional Practice Skills" section.