Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia Scholarship
The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia was founded in 1920, for the general purpose of safeguarding the safety, health, and welfare of the public and the environment. In the 1990s, the association boasts more than 15,000 members, and has moved into a wide variety of regulatory and educational activities.
The principal mandate of this self-regulatory body, as described by the Engineers and Geoscientists Act of British Columbia, is to protect the public through regulation of the two professions. To this end, the association maintains high standards of admission, prevents unlicensed practise, and investigates cases of suspected unprofessional or unethical conduct or negligence on the part of members. As well, members play a key role in the preparation of public standards such as building codes, municipal codes and other design standards, and as a group submits policy briefs concerning matters of public concern to the government. These briefs often address issues of resource management and the environment.
The association also works to increase knowledge, skills and proficiency of its members, in part by advancing high standards of professional ethics through regular publication of a Code of Ethics. Work with the public encourages entry into engineering and geoscience, and promotes appreciation of the two professions. To this end, member volunteers visit classrooms and form alliances with other organizations working to bring awareness and understanding of science and engineering into the schools. As well, the association tries to increase understanding of gender issues in both the school and the workplace.
The Association's affairs are conducted by 17 members of Council, who are either elected by the membership or appointed by the provincial government. To assist the Council, statutory and standing committees and task forces are set up, and several regional branches and a number of permanent staff and consultants play active roles as well.