The Association of Science & Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta
Technicians and technologists usually work in a team with other professionals. They are usually involved with the application or adaptation of technology. Performance as a certified technician or technologist requires the application of principles, methods and techniques appropriate to a field of technology. Practical knowledge of the construction, application, properties, operation and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices or materials, is usually required.
Technician
An applied science, information, or engineering technology professional who performs routine technical procedures with occasional direct supervision and who may assume limited responsibility for any decision making process.
Typical activities include testing, troubleshooting, inspection, calibration, design drafting, quality control, maintenance, modeling, data compilation, estimating, sales, surveying, field supervision, technical sales and teaching.
Uses a practical approach based on a detailed understanding of standard methods and techniques in solving technical problems.
Examines assignments, objectives and instructions to select procedures and actions to resolve the assigned problem.
The certified technician designation is C.Tech.
Technologist
An applied science, information, or engineering technology professional who is capable of assuming responsibility and exercising independent judgment to perform technical tasks and solve problems in complex technological areas with limited direct supervision.
Typical activities include design, production, marketing, testing, quality control, estimating, surveying, inspection, diagnostic evaluation, supervision, management, technical sales and teaching. Such activities may be carried out in association with other professionals.
Uses an applied approach based on a comprehensive understanding of a specific technology.
Evaluates assignments, determines procedures and implements solutions, schedules work to meet objectives, participates in short- and long-range planning, and may become involved in developing and promoting conceptual change.
May assume managerial or administrative responsibility for a wide range of technical endeavours.
May supervise and coordinate a diverse working group and train less experienced technical and professional staff.
The certified technologist designation is C.E.T.
For the purposes of the ASET CPD Program, “continuing professional development” is defined as any learning activity that meets at least one of the following criteria:
If you have immediate postings you would like to advertise, visit the ASET Career Centre and register as an employer for free. Once you’ve completed these quick, easy steps, you can submit your job. Thereafter, you can manage and edit your submissions.
Professional technologists must meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Professional Technologists Regulation (AR 283/2009), which include being a C.E.T. member in good standing with ASET and demonstrating six years of relevant work experience, with two years under the direct supervision and control of a P.Eng. or P.Geo. Please review the application process for more information.
ASET evaluates the qualifications of applicants against national technology benchmarks and only those who demonstrate their competency, and remain ASET members in good standing, can use the following designations:
If you have a complaint about an ASET member that refers to unskilled practice or breach of the ASET Code of Ethics, forward a written complaint to the ASET Registrar. This complaint should be received directly to they Registrar either by email or paper mail in order to ensure confidentiality (mark the envelope or subject line confidential).
If the matter does not relate to unethical or unskilled practice such as an employee being frequently late, it may be determined that the matter would not be under ASET’s jurisdiction to address. If you are unsure about whether or not the complaint relates to unskilled or unethical practice you are encouraged to contact the Registrar to discuss the concerns. For more information, visit the Complaints section on the Protecting the Public page.
All regulated ASET members must comply with the CPD Program. This includes:
Regulated members who are self-employed or practicing outside of Alberta must also comply with the program.
Retired members, students, Technicians- or Technologists-in-Training members are not subject to the requirements of the ASET CPD Program.
A minimum of two activities that must be selected from at least two of the four categories of professional development activities listed.
ASET conducts a random annual audit of regulated members. Any members who have not declared compliance with the program will receive notice from ASET and may be required to produce supporting documentation as proof of compliance. Failure to comply may entail a review of the practice of that member and/or the striking of the member from the ASET register.
Login in to the Members Area to access the CPD online log.
Members can participate in various volunteer activities to assist in fulfilling their CPD requirement, such as serving as an ASET Mentor, volunteering with their local ASET region, or assisting at ASET events.
Ask yourself two questions: “Does this activity make me a better practitioner?” and “Does this activity advance the profession?” If the answer to either of these questions is “Yes” the activity qualifies as CPD.
Regulated members who are not actively practicing due to illness, unemployment, parental leave, or retirement are exempt from the annual CPD requirement. CPD exemption is processed automatically following approval of a membership status change request.
No. Your mentor will guide you in your career development goals by providing advice, information, and guidance. You are responsible for your own job search.
No. Mentors and mentees connected for career investigation typically correspond via phone or email. Mentors and mentees in a mentoring partnership may form a similar informal connection or may choose to establish a more formal mentoring relationship. The mentoring partnership is designed to be as flexible as possible. The mentee and mentor are encouraged to discuss and establish an approach that best meets their needs.
The information that you provided in your application form will be used to match you with a mentor in the field you selected. ASET staff will use the database to coordinate matches and will inform you about your mentor when this is complete.
Please contact the ASET office should you run into any difficulties throughout your mentorship. If there is incompatibility for any reason, you and your mentor will be asked to comment so appropriate follow-up action can be taken including matching you with a new mentor, if needed.
No. Your role is to guide your mentee in their career development by providing advice, information, and guidance. Mentees are responsible for their own job search.
The information that was provided in your application form will be used to match you with a mentee. ASET staff will use the database to coordinate matches and will inform you about your mentee when this is complete.
Please contact the ASET office should you run into any difficulties throughout your mentoring relationship. If there is incompatibility for any reason, you and your mentee will be asked to comment so appropriate follow-up action can be taken including matching you with a new mentee, if needed.
Only if you are comfortable doing so and if you have contacted them and they are comfortable.
Your mentee has been asked to keep all information confidential and has signed a confidentiality agreement as part of the application process.
Yes, providing career investigation support to students or participation in a mentoring partnership will fulfill one of your annual CPD requirements (one Peer and Professional Interaction activity).
ASET Student members:
ASET student membership while they are in their technology program is free. Students can apply online here.
The professional reference who attests to two years of work experience under direct supervision and control need not be the P.Tech. applicant’s immediate supervisor. Often, a P.Eng. or P.Geo. working in the same or in another department of the organization or contracted by the organization takes responsibility for work performed by reviewing and stamping all relevant documents. In this case, the P.Tech. applicant must seek a reference from the professional member performing this function.
Applicants seeking certification with ASET are required to complete the National Professional Practice Exam. P.Tech. applicants who wrote the national exam as part of the application process for C.E.T. are not required to rewrite the exam.
A Professional Technologist (Engineering) is licensed by ASET to practice engineering independently within a defined scope of practice and within established methodologies and specifications, including existing codes and standards.
A Professional Licensee (Engineering) is licensed by APEGA to practice engineering independently within a defined scope of practice and within established methodologies and specifications and/or original concepts (R&D).
The choice between P.Tech.(Eng.) and P.L.(Eng.) should be based on what type of work you are currently performing or plan to perform in the future. If you are not required to take responsibility for work related to new concepts, the P.Tech.(Eng.) is a suitable option.
The P.Tech. designation is granted with a defined scope of practice. To change your scope of practice, you must reapply with all required documentation for review by the Joint Board of Examiners.
The P.Tech. stamp is used to authorize work completed by or under the direct supervision of a professional technologist. Please see the Stamping Guidelines for Professional Technologists and ASET Permit Holders for more information.
Professional technologists working as sole practitioners do not require a permit to practice. Professional technologists working as or for a corporation or other legal entity require an ASET Permit to Practice to take responsibility for work performed. Please see the ASET Permit to Practice Guidelines for more information.
Note: The P.Tech. designation offered in New Brunswick and Newfoundland is equivalent to the C.E.T. in Alberta. It is not equivalent to the P.Tech.(Eng.) or P.Tech.(Geo.) designation.
No, there are currently no agreements with other jurisdictions for professional technologists to take responsibility for their work outside of Alberta. Please contact the appropriate regulatory body or association in the province or country in which you are working to determine your licensing options.
Please refer to ASET’s Registration Policies to review reinstatement options.
Employers can confirm the scope of practice of a professional technologist or the scope(s) of practice of the responsible members listed under an ASET Permit to Practice by referring to the ASET membership roster.
No, a professional technologist who engages in the practice of engineering or geoscience in his or her own name does not require a permit to practice. However, if the same individual practices through an organization, the organization requires a permit to practice even if the member is the only employee.
No, unless the professional technologist is also an active member of APEGA (for example, a professional licensee), the individual cannot be listed as a responsible member under an APEGA permit to practice.
Yes, a professional technologist can work under an APEGA permit to practice if the individual is supervised by a responsible member listed on the APEGA permit to practice.
Yes, a professional technologist can stamp work they perform under an APEGA permit to practice. The professional technologist's personal stamp must be accompanied by the APEGA permit stamp or number.
An organization employing only professional technologists or an organization wishing to establish its professional technologists as responsible members under a permit to practice for the purpose of supervising work performed, must obtain an ASET permit to practice. In this case, the personal stamp of the professional technologist must be accompanied by the ASET permit stamp or number.
Any person (member of ASET, the public, industry, and so forth) may submit a complaint regarding the conduct of a permit holder. Complaints against ASET permit holders are reviewed by the ASET/APEGA Joint Investigation Committee and may be referred to the Joint Discipline Committee if necessary.
Determination of unprofessional conduct and unskilled practice is based on conduct that a) is detrimental to the best interests of the public; b) contravenes a code of ethics of the profession as established under legislation; c) harms or tends to harm the standing of the profession generally; d) displays a lack of knowledge or lack of skill or judgment in the practice of the profession; or e) displays a lack of knowledge or lack of skill or judgment in the carrying out of any duty or obligation undertaken in the practice of the profession.
The results of the discipline process will depend on the nature of the complaint but may result in prosecution, fines, conditions to practice such as periodic inspection or restrictions from engaging in sole practice, and cancellation of membership for individual members.
Yes, if a parent company or joint venture group holds a permit to practice, any subsidiary of that company that engages in the practice of engineering or geoscience must also hold a permit if the subsidiary is a separate entity with a different name.
The ASET Career Centre offers many new benefits and features that offer improved user capabilities. Through the Employer Dashboard, you have more tools at your fingertips to help you post job openings within your company, or on behalf of a company as a third-party representative, and search profiles of members who meet your particular qualifications; increase your company’s brand recognition though new advertising and company feature opportunities, including creating an employer profile highlighting why your company is a preferred place to work; and access live market data of current salary trends within the profession, with options for you to download customizable reports with your specific criteria.
The ASET Career Centre is set to launch in May 2016. Regular updates will be sent leading to the launch.
Any unexpired ATEN job credits will be transferred over to the new ASET Career Centre under your profile.
As part of the transition from ATEN to the new ASET Career Centre, job credit sales on ATEN will end in May 2016.
We encourage employers with any job postings that will arise after the launch date to feel free and build the job postings prior to launch.
Employers will still be able to post job opportunities on ATEN into April 2016, at which time, ATEN will then shut down as we prepare for the go-live date of the ASET Career Centre.
Through the Employer Dashboard, you have more tools at your fingertips to help you post job openings within your company, or on behalf of a company as a third-party representative, and search profiles of members who meet your particular qualifications; increase your company’s brand recognition though new advertising and company feature opportunities, including creating an employer profile highlighting why your company is a preferred place to work; and access live market data of current salary trends within the profession, with options for you to download customizable reports with your specific criteria.
ASET Members are qualified technical professionals with proven competency and experience, have industry recognized credentials, are bound to a professional Code of Ethics, and come from a vast range of science and engineering disciplines.
Take a look at various Career Centre Subscription Packages on the Products and Pricing page to compare packages, prices, and to see how to purchase a package.
Detailed description of your company with important contact information and link to your website. Options avaliable to add company logo, banner add, and featured employer page.
Active job postings are sent straight to nearly 18,000 ASET members via email every two weeks during your posting. The ASET Membership is made up of 17 disciples and 124 occupations.
Customizable, real-time reports display average reported ASET Member salaries based on a combination of specific parameters, including discipline, location, membership level, and employment level.
Account Settings houses basic account holder information and settings, such as contact and financial information.
My Company Information houses the information on the company for whom you are posting jobs and features.
The ASET Career Centre on-site banner view metrics helps you monitor your banner performance so that you can review and refine for optimal audience response.
This page allows you to highlight extensive insights about your company. You can post promotional pictures, corporate videos and share your organization’s social media channels.
Please contact christinaz@aset.ab.ca to have your location added to the list.
Your receipt will be emailed to the email address entered under "Account Settings" on your Dashboard. Please keep this emailed receipt on file for your records.
Job postings can be extended by going to "Edit This Job" within the posting. Select the new end date for the posting.
You can easily see how many people have viewed, and applied to your posting by looking under the “Posted Jobs” section of your Recruiter Dashboard. Or, you can look under the “My Job Ads” tab on the top of the Recruiter Dashboard.
Using the “Search Resume” function of the Recruiter Dashboard, you can search through job seekers that match your specific criteria.
To post a job, click “Post New Job” on your Recruiter Dashboard, choose your posting dates, and then fill in the details of your posting. Each 30-day job posting will cost 1 job credit.
To re-set your password, go to the Forgot Password page, and follow the instructions.