CE-Eligible Activities Clarified
Practising registrants are required to record 60 CE Hours in every three-year rolling period. It is the registrant's responsibility to evaluate CE offerings and only record activities that meet all the eligibility criteria. During an Individual Compliance Audit or Practice Review, registrants may be asked to demonstrate how the activity is relevant to practice and provide supporting documentation.
However, what constitutes a valid CE activity may be unclear for some.
"We recognize that June 30, 2024, was the end of the first three-year rolling period and registrants are still learning the nuances of this reporting model,” said Stuart Nash, Manager, Individual Audits and Practice with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. “It is critical that registrants take the time to understand the eligibility criteria for CE activities so they can properly complete their requirements.”
Ineligible CE Activities
An activity is considered ineligible if it does not help maintain or advance the skills and knowledge needed to perform an engineering or geoscience task or role to the recognized standard expected of a qualified professional. Activities can be considered ineligible if they fall under the following categories.
Professional Practice Hours
Activities conducted as part of the registrant’s regular job description do not meet the eligibility criteria to be counted towards the required 60 hours of learning.
Examples of professional practice hours include:
- Reviewing emails
- An engineering consultant entering “consulting work”
- A project manager entering “managing projects”
- A university professor entering “lecturing”
- A supervisor entering “reviewing work of staff”
- A supervisor entering “mentorship” for providing supervision to their staff
Activities Unrelated to Professional Roles
Hobbies and community service activities are not typically eligible for CE Hours because the lessons gleaned from these activities are not directly relevant to the registrant’s competency as a professional engineer or geoscientist.
Examples of activities unrelated to professional roles include:
- Coaching children’s sports teams
- Volunteering at the community animal shelter
- Taking a photography class
- First aid training (except where first aid is part of the technical training required to perform the registrant’s professional role)
Vague Descriptions
Registrants must also be specific about the learning activity that they completed when entering new activities into their CE Reporting System. Vague activity descriptions are not eligible and should not be entered. Being specific will also help registrants maintain better records and more easily recall supporting documents if they are requested by Engineers and Geoscientist BC.
Here are some examples of vague descriptions and ways to correct them with proper detail:
- Communications – could be instead Introduction to Professional Writing course
- Leadership – could be conflict-resolution training
- Research – could be preparing patent application
- Self-directed study – could be reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Volunteering – could be participating in Built Environment Advisory Group meetings
Eligible CE Activities
Any learning activity can count towards CE Hours as long as it is relevant to the registrant’s area and industry of practice, will help maintain their skills or knowledge, and is outside of their day-to-day work duties.
Examples of eligible CE activities include, but are not limited to:
- Training activities, such as a professional development seminar, course, or workshop
- Activities that expand the registrant’s knowledge, skills, and judgment
- Activities that promote peer interaction and provide exposure to new ideas and technologies that enhance the profession and serve the public interest
- Presentations of a technical or professional nature that are discretionary – that is, outside the registrant’s normal job functions (multiple deliveries of the same presentation count as only one presentation)
- Activities that expand or develop the technical knowledge base in the disciplines of engineering or geoscience
CE Reporting Reminders
Review the CE Program page for a detailed list of requirements including a breakdown of requirements for new registrants and registrants who have reinstated practice rights.
Review Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s CE Resources page for more examples of activities that can be used to fulfill CE Hours.
Photo: Wendy D Photography