Continuing Education Requirements Are Common |
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By Helen Dolik Teachers have asked what other professions have in place for continuing education require-ments in Ontario. The Ontario College of Teachers delved into the issue and contacted the province’s self-regulatory bodies for a capsule look at what’s expected of other professions in Ontario.
Several organizations have no mandatory professional development; some are recently established as self-regulatory bodies and have not yet established policies in this area.
In Ontario, the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) requires that every health profession under the Act maintain a quality assurance program and participation be mandatory. The Act regulates 23 health professions and its 220,000 professionals, the Ministry of Health says. The 21 colleges legislated under the RHPA regulate health-care professions such as dentists, physicians, pharmacists, nurses and physiotherapists. All Colleges under the RHPA are required to:
The RHPA further requires that colleges have a quality assurance committee and college councils make regulations "prescribing a quality assurance program." Many self-regulating professions require members to maintain professional portfolios – a resume of professional and academic accomplishments. It can include areas for enhancement or improvement, personal goals and future learning plans.
Assessment Strategies Inc. independently conducted a study to look at trends of continuing competence, licensure and certification in Canada. A total of 343 regulatory bodies and professional associations across Canada were asked to take part and 155 responded. The study – Licensure, Certification and Continuing Competence Practices Among Canadian Regulated Professions, March 1999 – found:
"There is a growing recognition by governments, the public and professional regulatory bodies that the competence of its professionals needs to be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure quality, safety and public protection," the Assessment Strategies survey reports.
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The majority of 37 self-regulating bodies in Ontario require members to
take part in mandatory professional development. Many have required learning
in core areas and members usually pay for their own continuing education.
The professional development is often stretched over cycles of two to five
years. For example, certified general account-ants must complete 100 credits
in a three-year moving cycle.
It’s also noteworthy that professional development requirements are
continually changing and evolving. For example, the Ontario Association of
Architects launched its continuing education program on January 1, 1999. It
is being phased in with Cycles One, Two and Three. Licensed architects must
complete requirements for each cycle of the program, which consists of
professional renewal and self-directed activities. They are currently in
Cycle Two, where architects must get 30 professional renewal points and 40
self-directed points in 2002-2003. In Cycle 3, 2004-2005, the number of
points jumps to 50 professional renewal and 50 self-directed points.
The trend toward greater public accountability stretches right across the
country. Regulated professions in Canada are paying attention to continuing
competence assessments.