ACTIVITIES OF THE BOARD - DECEMBER 1999    Back to Activities Contents

5.0    Integration of Regional Engineering Practice

            The model legislation for integrating the registration of engineers across the region was accepted by the Council of Caribbean Engineering Organizations in January 1999.  The constituent members of the CCEO are now at work toward getting national legislation enacted, based on the model legislation.  The model was prepared for the CCEO by the Board’s Registrar.

6.0      T&T Engineering Profession Amendment Act

            The proposed legislation to amend the existing Engineering Profession Act has been drafted and efforts would now be made to have the law enacted.  The new legislation proposes:-

-         The mandatory registration of persons offering engineering services to the public.

-         Registration of companies offering engineering services.

-     Provisions for the Board to register engineering professionals on the basis of its own examinations of competence.

7.0     Continuing Professional Development

            The CPD system which was put in place during 1998 has now been functioning long enough to be able to identify its positive aspects as well as what needs to be adjusted to make it more useful to engineers.  The main need seems to be for more administrative capacity to service the system.  In that regard, the Board and APETT have agreed that the Board will expand its facilities to provide the required capacity.  The offices of the Board have been expanded and a new computer with printer and scanner installed.

The Board continues to serve on the Advisory Council of the Faculty of Engineering at UWI and to work closely with NIHERST and particularly its Committee on the Recognition of Degrees (CORD).  The Board views the recent completion of long ongoing efforts to create a Community College system at NIHERST as a positive step in rationalizing the post-secondary education system in T&T.  What is now needed is for NIHERST and the National Training Agency to work together to ensure a system that transits seamlessly between the technical/vocational and professional streams.

7.1     Professional Centre

           The Group of Professional Associations of T&T which manages the Professional Centre at Fitzblackman Drive in Port of Spain has accepted a proposal from the Board to expand the Centre to provide additional office accommodation and common meeting and office facilities.  These plans should create a greatly expanded facility at Fitzblackman Drive and also greater co-operation not only among the engineering and construction related organizations but also among the other participating professional organizations at the Centre.

7.2            Bursary to UWI

            The Board has decided to award a bursary at the Faculty of Engineering at UWI.  The bursary will be awarded to a ‘Trinidad and Tobago national at the Faculty of Engineering, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine entering the final year and not being on full scholarship who, while displaying academic excellence, has also made a contribution to the Engineering Student Society and/or other areas of university community life’.  In making the bursary available to a deserving student the Board will be soliciting the co-operation of organizations engaged in the business of engineering in T&T.

Back to Activities Contents