Engineers Canada urges Alberta to reconsider change to rules around ‘engineer’ title
Engineers Canada is urging Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to reconsider a proposal that aims to loosen restrictions around who can use the title of “engineer.”
The group is opposing changes to the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act that would allow technology companies and workers to use the title “software engineer” without holding a professional engineering license from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.
Bill 7 – which would carve out an exception and allow software engineers and those with similar roles permission to use the title – was introduced after Canadian tech companies, who say that current rules put them at a disadvantage for recruiting talent, urged the government to loosen restrictions.
However, Engineers Canada chief executive Gerard McDonald says that allowing the use of the term “engineer” by unlicensed individuals undermines the public trust and compromises safety. “This exemption and the open-ended nature of the regulations set a dangerous precedent for other jurisdictions in Canada,” he said in a press release. “It risks eroding the established framework of professional regulation and could extend beyond engineering, impacting fields such as medicine and health, among others.”
Read more from Global News.
Georgia lawmakers unveil recommendations for growing workforce
A legislative study committee in Georgia recently adopted several measures to grow the state’s workforce, including changes to professional and occupational licensing that would make it easier for people who move from out of state to become licensed.
After holding six hearings across the state, the Senate’s Expanding Georgia’s Workforce Study Committee approved its final report, which it will send to the full Senate for consideration during the 2024 General Assembly session beginning in January.
In addition to increasing flexibility in Georgia’s occupational and professional licensing processes, the committee’s recommendations include:
- Establishing a statewide portal to help employers fill job openings.
- Improving the system used by state university and technical college systems for transferring credits to make it easier for students to transition between the two systems without losing credits.
- Creating a grant program for high school graduates who want to work in local government during a “gap year” between high school and college.
Read more in Capitol Beat.
Assembly Republicans in Wisconsin pass rewrite of Evers’ special session bill
Republicans in Wisconsin’s General Assembly passed a rewrite of Gov. Tony Evers’ ambitious legislation as the special session ordered by the governor came to a close on Nov. 14.
Evers’ $1-billion agenda, as proposed in the original legislation, included $365 million in child care support, $243 million to start a self-funded paid family leave program, $120 million in additional higher education funding, plus $197 million for a new UW engineering building, and $100 million for other workforce development programs.
But the version passed by the Senate on Oct. 17 looked significantly different after a top-to-bottom rewrite by Republicans. The final bill consisted of a $2-billion tax cut on incomes from about $27,000 to more than $300,000, measures relating to occupational licensing (such as streamlining criminal background checks for occupational licenses), revisions to the state’s unemployment insurance program, an expanded child care tax credit for parents, and startup aid for child care providers.
The Assembly passed the special session bill 62-36 (with no Democratic votes) after a Democratic amendment to essentially undo the GOP rewrite was rejected along party lines. The bill now heads to Gov. Evers’ desk. Read more in the Wisconsin Examiner.
Ontario to ban Canadian work experience requirement in job postings
Minister of Labor David Piccini recently announced that Ontario will ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience in job postings or application forms, making it the first province in Canada to do so.
Requiring Canadian work experience serves as a significant barrier in the hiring process for many newcomers to Canada, leading to underemployment for many skilled and experienced immigrants. This latest ban builds on a law passed two years ago prohibiting certain non-health professions from requiring Canadian work experience for licensing.
The ban on requiring Canadian work experience in job postings is part of new legislation introduced on Nov. 14 that makes several changes to labor laws in Ontario, including requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings, and boosting benefits for injured workers. The legislation will also change how regulated professions such as accounting, architecture, and geoscience use third-party organizations to assess international qualifications, which the government claims will improve oversight and accountability. Read more from CBC News.
New York governor wants new cybersecurity rules for hospitals after multiple attacks
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing a slate of new cybersecurity rules for the state’s hospitals following several attacks that limited operations at health care facilities for weeks this year.
Her proposal requires hospitals to establish cybersecurity programs, assess cybersecurity risks, use defensive techniques and infrastructure, and implement protection measures for information systems. Facilities would need to develop incident response plans and outline how they plan to notify the appropriate government bodies in the event of an attack. They must also run tests of their response plans that ensure patient care can continue while systems are being restored, and create a chief information security officer role if they do not have one already.
Hochul noted that her budget for the next fiscal year includes $500 million in funding that hospitals across the state can use to upgrade their technology systems in line with the proposed regulations. The proposed rules now head to the Public Health and Health Planning Council and will be published to the State Register on Dec. 6, giving stakeholders 60 days to comment. If approved, the rules will come into effect one year after they are finalized. Read more in The Record.
More news:
- The U.S. has joined 45 other endorsing states to launch the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI and Autonomy, a series of non-legally binding guidelines meant to ensure that militaries use emerging technologies such as AI responsibly. The Declaration outlines best practices for responsible use of AI in a defense context, such as ensuring that military AI systems are auditable, have explicit and well-defined uses, are subject to rigorous testing and evaluation across their lifecycle, and that high-consequence applications undergo senior-level review and are capable of being deactivated if they demonstrate unintended behavior.
- The Ontario government is proposing changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) that would revise the eligibility requirements for hundreds of international students with one-year college graduate certificate programs throughout the province, making it easier for them to get permanent residency. The proposal is included in legislation introduced on Nov. 14 that would make several changes to labor laws in the province.
- The Center for Digital Government (CDG) announced the winners of the 23rd annual Digital Cities Survey, which recognizes cities utilizing technology to strengthen cybersecurity, enhance transparency, digital privacy rights, and digital equity, and those finding innovative ways to support solutions for social challenges facing cities today. The top 10-ranking cities in each of five population categories were honored during the Digital Cities Awards event at the National League of Cities “City Summit” on Nov. 16 in Atlanta, Georgia. The City of Los Angeles was recognized as a first-place winner in the largest category, “500,000 or more population,” for its use of technology to support housing the homeless, increasing public safety, and making L.A. a more livable city for all communities.
- The Alabama Board of Massage Therapy has suspended its licensing functions and ceased taking phone calls after the state leaders did not approve agreements for its contracted executive director. This disruption comes amid an ongoing occupational licensing oversight crackdown and calls for reform in Montgomery. The board licenses around 3,200 massage therapists, businesses, instructors, and schools, collecting $262,565 in fees in 2022. The shutdown raises concerns about the potential impact on various professional fields if governing bodies cease to function. Lawmakers have been questioning the operations and expenses of occupational boards, emphasizing the need for reforms in how these boards operate.
- The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and the Universities of Wisconsin have collaborated on a new agreement to expedite the occupational licensing process for students entering health care fields. The partnership involves giving universities limited access to the online occupational licensing system, allowing universities to view student rosters, verify graduation dates, and monitor their progression through the licensing process, streamlining the overall procedure. DSPS aims to enhance efficiency and collaboration with educational institutions, fostering a quicker transition for students to become licensed professionals.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- America’s undeniable competition problem requires a regulatory fix (The Hill)
- How state CIOs can build a more resilient workforce (StateTech)
- Turkey’s crypto rules seen addressing licensing, taxation after boom (Reuters)
Disclaimer: The thoughts, opinions, and commentary of the articles we share links to in Week in Brief do not necessarily reflect those of Ascend Magazine or Thentia.
IN BRIEF
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