Agrology professionals with the designation Registered Technologist in Agrology (RTAg) in Alberta and Technical Agrologist (Tech.Ag.) in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are eligible for mobility rights under the Canada Free Trade Agreement, and the New-West Partnership Trade Agreement. Provincial regulators confirmed that reciprocal mobility provisions mean that a RTAg or Tech.Ag. registered in one province can apply to practice agrology in the other province without any material additional training, experience, examinations, or assessments as part of the initial mobility registration and certification procedure. Once certified to practice agrology, the mobility applicant’s right to practice or their use of a reserved title is subject to the same obligations as the workers already certified for that occupation in the new jurisdiction. Once certified, the labour mobility applicant will then be subject to, for instance, any post-certification requirements related to continuing education or practice and audits/quality assurance reviews. Mobility provisions are based on inter-governmental agreements based on occupational standards for agrologists and other professionals that are established by regulatory authorities through legislation.
Confirmation of mobility rights for the two groups of agrology professionals is good news for consumers of professional advisory services, for employers, and agrologists holding the RTAg or Tech.Ag. designation. Recent alignment of entrance standards among the three provincial regulators allows wider independent practice rights, eliminates confusion about registration requirements and promotes greater human resource deployment opportunities while keeping the focus exactly where it should be—on protecting and serving the public interest.
Agrology is a regulated occupation in the Prairie provinces and elsewhere in Canada. The Agrologists Acts in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and Agrology Profession Act in Alberta enable regulators to specify application and practice permit requirements including registration with the agrology regulator in the province in which they are providing advice or knowledge transfer. Anyone working without a current registration permit, even accidentally, may be subject to penalty or injunction provisions under each province’s legislation. Agrologists must hold permits in all provinces where they are practicing.
Additional Information
- To exercise mobility rights the RTAg/Tech.Ag. must not be subject to practice limitations, restrictions, or conditions in the province where they were first registered. They must meet all applicable continuing competence, ethical and practice requirements in the originating province of registration. Unregistered, retired, or non-practicing individuals cannot practice agrology nor call themselves agrologists or use any description that might lead someone to believe they are professionally qualified, without being registered.
- Technical Agrologists and
Registered Technologists in Agrology:
- Have met or exceeded agrology education standards with credentials obtained from a post-secondary education institution.
- Can competently, safely, and ethically provide advice to customers with more complex needs through a combination of further education and experience.
For more information specific to each province contact:
Alberta Institute of Agrologists ● Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists ● agrologistsmanitoba.ca
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