As a precursor to conducting work to determine the reserved practice for ASTTBC registrants, ASTTBC commissioned a review of all Registered Technical Specialist designations to determine whether full force of the Professional Governance Act is required for the Registered Technical Specialist group. ASTTBC recognizes there is a balance of protecting the public and a right to earn a living. Too much regulation can be undesirable for a host of reasons.

The outcome of this review was a report that recommended many of the Registered Technical Specialist subclasses should be sunset, the creation of Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner (ROWPs) and Registered Fire Protection Technician (RFPTs) as separate registration classes, and the eventual sunset of the Registered Technical Specialist class of registration. The full report can be found here.

Upon review and careful consideration, ASTTBC has accepted the recommendations of this review and is proceeding with consultation on implementing changes; a preliminary step is gathering feedback. ASTTBC is conducting a survey for feedback on implementing changes to the Registered Technical Specialist designations issued under the Professional Governance Act (PGA), and to also determine which areas of focus will be a priority for Reserved Practice.

Specifically, ASTTBC aims to receive feedback on:

  • Maintaining public safety and confidence in those technical fields where Registered Technical Specialist designations may be sunset,
  • Identifying high risk situations that can result in the significant harm, to either the environment or the health of British Columbians, where work is performed by individuals who had their Technical Specialist designation sunset, and 
  • Is there a continued role for the sunset designations within the industry?

The survey is open to all ASTTBC stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous Peoples, regulatory agencies, professional associations, registrants, and the public.

The survey is now closed.

Learn more:
Review ASTTBC Intentions Paper – Changes to Registered Technical Specialist Designations
Review Report – Registered Technical Specialist
FAQ – Registered Technical Specialist

If you have any questions, please email:  info@ASTTBC.org.