VOLUME 3
ISSUE 1
NOVEMBER 2008
FEATURE: SUSTAINABILITY: WHAT IS IT? EDUCATION: STUDENT MOVEMENT - A SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS NEWS: AGM 2008
Publications Mail Agreement # 40875508
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Leadership in Technology is the official newsletter of TechNova, the Society of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists of Nova Scotia.
Leadership in Technology is published biannually by:
202 Brownlow Avenue Cambridge 1, Suite 308 Dartmouth, NS B3B 1T5 Tel: (902) 463-3236 Fax: (902) 465-7567 Toll Free: 1 866 723-8867 info@technova.ca www.technova.ca Please direct all inquiries, submissions and subscription requests to TechNova at the above address. Leadership in Technology is published in conjunction with: Design Works Publishing Group 1242A Bedford Hwy. Bedford NS B4A 1C6 Tel: (902) 468-3440 Fax: (902) 468-9044 Please contact DWP Group for advertising information.
Sustainability: What Is It?
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From the Editor
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New Members
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News & Events
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Registrars Report
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Go Tech Girl
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President’s Letter
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EDITOR Ed Lingley, C.Tech EDITORIAL DIRECTION Vivian Ernst ART DIRECTION Mario Zamfir The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association. TechNova assumes no responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission or from the use of any information or advice printed in this publication. Letters regarding the newsletter should be addressed to the Editor at the Society’s address.
Publications Mail Agreement # 40875508
STORY IDEAS WELCOME
Leadership in Technology strives to present news, stories and other content in the course of each year that is of particular interest or pertinence to TechNova members. We rely in part on your input to guide and generate articles. This is your publication and you are always encouraged to contribuite. NEWS: Your technology career is ever-changing. Let others know about the changes and trends in your particular field, discipline or worksite. PPROFILES: Want to share your own story? Leadership in Technology is a great way to demonstrate the ways that members utilize technology in their careers. FEEDBACK: Write to us and share your viewpoints (members and nonmembers alike). Write to info@technova.ca or send your letter/article to the TechNova office.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
SUSTAINABILITY: WHAT IS IT? Mix sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory and accountability, and you have the four pillars of corporate sustainability. It’s an evolving concept that managers are adopting as an alternative to the traditional growth and profit-maximization model. In recent years there has been significant discussion in the business, academic, and popular press about “corporate sustainability.” This term is often used in conjunction with, and in some cases as a synonym for, other terms such as “sustainable development” and “corporate social responsibility.” But what is corporate sustainability, how does it relate to these other terms, and why is it important?
What is corporate sustainability?
Corporate sustainability can be viewed as a new and evolving corporate management paradigm. The term ‘paradigm’ is used deliberately, in that corporate sustainability is an alternative to the traditional growth and profit-maximization model. While corporate sustainability recognizes that corporate growth and profitability are important, it also requires the corporation to pursue societal goals, specifically those relating to sustainable development, environmental protection, social justice and equity, and economic development.
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a broad, dialectical concept that balances the need for economic growth with environmental protection and social equity. Sustainable development is a broad concept in that it combines economics, social justice, environmental science and management, business management, politics and law. It is a dialectical concept in that, like justice, democracy, fairness, and other important societal concepts, it defies a concise analytical definition, although one can often point to examples that illustrate its principles
Corporate social responsibility
Like sustainable development, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also a broad, dialectical concept. In the most general terms, CSR deals with the role of business in society. Its basic premise is that corporate managers have an ethical obligation to consider and address the needs of society, not just to act solely in the interests of the shareholders or their own self-interest.
Stakeholder theory
Stakeholder theory, which is short for stakeholder theory of the firm, is a relatively modern concept. The basic premise of stakeholder theory is that the stronger your relationships are with other external parties, the easier it will be to meet your corporate business objectives; the worse your relationships, the harder it will be. Strong relationships with stakeholders are those based on trust, respect, and cooperation. Unlike
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CSR, which is largely a philosophical concept, stakeholder theory was originally, and is still primarily, a strategic management concept. The goal of stakeholder theory is to help corporations strengthen relationships with external groups in order to develop a competitive advantage. The contribution of stakeholder theory to the corporate sustainability is the addition of business arguments as to why companies should work toward sustainable development. Stakeholder theory suggests that it is in the company’s own best economic interest to work in this direction because doing so will strengthen its relationship with stakeholders, which in turn will help the company meet its business objectives.
Corporate Accountability
The fourth and final concept underlying corporate sustainability is corporate accountability. Accountability is the legal or ethical responsibility to provide an account or reckoning of the actions for which one is held responsible. Accountability differs from responsibility in that the latter refers to one’s duty to act in a certain way, whereas accountability refers to one’s duty to explain, justify, or report on his or her actions. The contribution of corporate accountability theory to corporate sustainability is that it helps define the nature of the relationship between corporate managers and the rest of society. It also sets out the arguments as to why companies should report on their environmental, social, and economic performance, not just financial performance. Corporate sustainability is a new and evolving corporate management paradigm. Although the concept acknowledges the need for profitability, it differs from the traditional growth and profit-maximization model in that it places a much greater emphasis on environmental, social, and economic performance, and the public reporting on this performance. Not all companies currently subscribe to the principles of corporate sustainability, and it is unlikely that all will, at least not voluntarily. However, a significant number of companies have made public commitments to environmental protection, social justice and equity, and economic development. Their number continues to grow. This trend will be reinforced if shareholders and other stakeholders support and reward companies that conduct their operations in the spirit of sustainability. Reprinted with permission from Ivey Business Journal. To read the full article go to http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/view_article.asp?intArticle_ID=405
From the Editor EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT: Louis LeBel, CET ACTING VICE PRESIDENT: Sean Piercey, CET
Hello and welcome back after a summer break. I hope that you all managed to enjoy a bit of vacation but are glad to get back to the normal routine. Since the last issue of Leadership in Technology some important events have taken place both in Nova Scotia and nationally, which are of great interest to TechNova and to you as Members. The first of these was the Introduction of Bill 126 Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act (FARPA) at the spring session of the Nova Scotia Legislature. The Bill reached second reading before the house closed for summer break.
PAST PRESIDENT: Steve Shaw, CET
On July 18th representatives from 40 Provincial Regulatory bodies including TechNova met to discuss amendments to this Bill. From this meeting a Working Group of seven was appointed to make amendments to the Bill. This group met eight times over the summer and presented recommended changes to a meeting of all the Regulatory bodies at a meeting on 22 Sept.
FINANCE CHAIR: Don Landry, CET
It is hoped that the Amended Bill or a complete new Bill will be presented to the Legislature at the next setting.
TECHNOVA COUNCILLORS: Hugh Campbell, C.Tech Kevin MacInnis, CET Robin Hill, CET Elizabeth MacKay, C.Tech Dimitri Sourtzis, CET REGISTRAR: Joe Simms, CET EXECUTIVE STAFF OFFICER: Ed Lingley, C.Tech OFFICE MANGER Vivian Ernst
The second event was the announcement by the First Ministers of the implementing of Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) Chapter 7 Labour Mobility by April 2009. Changes to this agreement have also been made and a working group similar to the one dealing with Bill 126 has been set up to review these changes. In the simplest of terms FRAPA as it applies to TechNova addresses our Policies for Certifying and Registering applicants, and Certification review and appeals policies for those applicants denied Certification,. It does not deal with Standards for Certification. On the other hand AIT Chapter 7 as it applies to TechNova addresses our National and International Transfer agreements and any barriers to transfers. This involves standards. You may recall in our last Newsletter we asked for assistance in completing a joint survey conducted by Primis Economics in conjunction with Engineers Canada and CCTT. This was part of a National Engineering and Technology Labour Market Study The survey has been completed and several Focus Groups have been held across the country including one at TechNova to discuss the results. A final report will be made available later this year or early next year. Thanks to all of you who participated in the Survey and attended the Focus Group. In late October President Louis LeBel, CCTT Director Steve Shaw, Registrar Joe Simms, CTAB Representive Sean Piercey and myself as ESO will be attending the CCTT AGM in Vancouver. We look to you as members for ideas, letters or articles to include in future publications. Ed Lingley CTech Editor 5
Front Row: (starting from left) Jean R. Lachance, Chairman , Affinity Market Group, Louis LeBel President TechNova Back Row: Serge Godbout, Vice President, Affinity Market Group, Scott Grant, Manager, Affinity Market Group
Beneficial Partnership TechNova and TD Meloche Monnex Insurance have signed a 10 year agreement to provide TechNova members with superior group Home and Auto insurance. Not only do they provide lower rates for our members, but they also support our members with scholarships and support for National Technology Week , advertisement support for our Newsletter and our AGM. We encourage all members to check our partners website page and get a quote. “I have been with Meloche Monnex for many years and find their service to be exceptional.� Louis LeBel CET President TechNova
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NEW MEMBERS
March 2008 – September 2008 The Council has approved the following Certification Board recommendations for membership in TechNova. Associate Technicians • Goulden, Kimberley Certified Engineering Technicians (C.Tech) • Singer, David • Daigle, Michel • McCarthy, Martin • Ernst, Frederick • Ross, Douglas • Zegray, Jeffrey • Flint, Clinton • Perry, Sheila • Chubbs, Terrance • Turner, Shaun • Gillis, Craig • Zwicher, Roger Certified Engineering Technologists (CET) • Hannam, Sandra • Sacrey, Jeffrey • McGrath, Joseph • Romo, Lynn • Smith, Robert • Sullivan, Stuart • Chisholm, Kennedy • Jarvis, Andre • Evans, R. Chad
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Prichard, Jennifer Boone, Sarah MacDougall, Christopher Burn, Taber Rafuse, James Smith, Todd Houlihan, Andrew Ludwicki, Michael Landry, S. Brent Langille, Adam Sponagle, Matthew
Upgraded from Associate Technologist to Certified Engineering Technologist • Kavarskas, Julius • Allen, Penny Upgraded from Associate Technician to Certified Engineering Technician (C.Tech) • Woodworth, Jonathan Applied Science Technologist (AScT) • Lissine, Alexei TRANSFERS • Belliveau, Mark • Hern, Scott • Rayworth, Stephen
Associate Technologists • Basim Sobeih • Jessie Keane • Michael Cheverie Students • Rawding, Cody • Prue, Cody • Chalupowski, Mark • Connors, Jeff • Crawford, Zachary • Evans, D. Jonathan • Bates, Anthony • Hennigar, Ellen • Fournier, Sebastien • Conway, Jordan • Murray, Jonathan • DeCoste, Graham • MacIntosh, David • Burke, Patrick • Wood, Trevor • Wilson, Justin • Praest, Kristien • Smith, Matthew • Charlebois, Justin • Lai, Jeremy • Holleman, Mark • Swan, Andrew • Omicevic, Vanis • Fougere, Trent • Tobin, Chris • McPhee, Graeme Non-Active Status • Howley, Catherine
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2008 TechNova Lapsed Members Arsenault, Alye Bach, Neil Barbrick, Tracey Beaton, Clayton Blaney-Gale, Tabatha Brayman, Daryl Brewer, Timothy Brown, T. Marcella Browne, David Casey, Shawn Chaban, Christopher Chabassol, Yvonne Chapman, H. Edward Conrad, Penny Cottreau, Robert Daigle, Adrien Davidson, Richard DeVenne, Stephen Disher, Darrell Doucette, Timothy Dube, Paul-Maurice Everitt, Ronald Fagan, Brian Forbes, Jeffrey Fortune, Daniel Fox, John Gale, Nicholas Gould, Michael Gouthro, Peter Hadad, Jacob Hall, Derrell Harding, George Hardy, Michael Hefferman, Andrew
Heidweller, Frans Herman, Gary Hill, Ronald Hines, Steven Lawler, John LeCreux, Theodore Livingstone, Chuck Maas, Mark MacDonald, Gerard MacDonald, Kari MacNeil, Blair McLean, Daniel Methot, Donavan Mombourquette, Tony Myatt, Derick O’Callaghan, Keith Olson, Jason Parks, Willis O’Neill, C.William Patton, Timothy Peet, Gerald Pirrie, Daniel Rankin, William Rhodenizer, Michael Ripley, Earle Roach, Omar Sabine, Jeremiah Saunders, Robert Simpson, Jamie Smith, Ronald Stiles, Craig Theriault, Marc Paul Veinot, Collin Wagner, Kevin Wheeler, Michael Woods, Michael Youden, Robert
TechNova AGM March 2009 We are beginning to plan for our 2008 AGM to be held in March 2009.During an open discussion at the last Council meeting it was proposed that we consider changing the venue and the format of the upcoming meeting. It was suggested to host the event in the Truro area and to hold the General Meeting during the day and to have a Social event such as a Dinner in the evening, or have a meet and greet on Friday night and General Meeting on Saturday. This is not a new idea as it has been done in the past. We are however interested in the opinion of you the Members. Please submit your ideas and opinions and if you intend to attend to: info@technova.ca.
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Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists, (CCTT), Director’s Report, September 29, 2008 Last May TechNova received some shocking news. Our Past President and CCTT Director, John Siggers, was moving on to a new career in British Columbia. We wish John all the best and we will miss his sense of humor and his wisdom. As a result of John’s resignation, I have volunteered to take over his duties until our President, Louis Lebel, has finished his term and can assume these roles. Furthermore, we have had a busy summer at CCTT and I would like to keep TechNova members abreast of the following developments: 1. Third Party Evaluation of CCTT The Board of Directors of CCTT has decided to approve a comprehensive, third party evaluation of CCTT. The evaluation will look at CCTT’s role and its relationship with its constituent members. The expected benefit is greater organizational efficiencies, more accurate and faster response to our members, and a revitalization of the federation. The third party evaluator has been tasked with reviewing all fundamental documents, (By-Laws, Policies etc), as well as contacting staff, stakeholders, and volunteers across Canada. An interim report is expected at the CCTT AGM in October. 2. SASTT Negotiations are progressing with Saskatchewan Applied Science Technicians and Technologists, (SASTT). SASTT decided to pull out of CCTT over some policy issues and negotiations are continuing to bring SASTT back into the CCTT fold. 3. CCTT Financial Results for Fiscal 2007 – 2008. The fiscal year for CCTT ends in July and the annual audit of CCTT is underway. Preliminary results show that CCTT will have a small surplus for the fiscal year.
4. Agreement on Internal Trade, (AIT) The Provincial Premiers have committed to full implementation of AIT on April 1, 2009. All affected entities must be in compliance with the Agreement by that date. While the full agreement encompasses commerce, finance and the movement of goods, Chapter 7 of that document deals with labour mobility. It is intended to enable any worker licensed, certified or registered by a Canadian regulatory authority to be granted access to employment in any province or territory. The idea is to eliminate barriers and to achieve mutual recognition of qualified workers across Canada. The motive is, of course, economic growth achieved through unrestricted labour mobility. CCTT is attempting to obtain funding from HRSDC as part of AIT, and is monitoring the developments to ensure the interests of the members of CCTT are looked after.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES The Annual Ray Fiske, P.Eng. Scholarship Award Criteria: TechNova (SCETTNS) will award a $500.00 scholarship annually to a son or daughter of TechNova member to assist him/her with expenses incurred to undertake post-secondary studies. Eligibility: (a) Must have a parent who is a member in good standing of TechNova. (b) Show by official transcripts that he/she has graduated from a grade 12 secondary school program. (c) Prove by official letter that he/she is registered in a fulltime post-secondary program. Selection: Submission must be received at the TechNova office no later than November 30, 2008.
All submissions will be coded and the recipient will be chosen by the lottery method. Award recipient’s name will be announced at the TechNova AGM. Official notification will be made to the successful candidate by certified mail. The Annual Meloche Monnex Continuing Education Bursary Criteria: A $1000.00 Meloche Monnex Continuing Education Bursary is open to any TechNova (SCETTNS) Certified Member or immediate family member, who has confirmed registration in a nationally accredited applied science/ engineering technology training program or regular distance education courses/programs of relevant discipline specific for upgrading, or, leading to reclassification form Certified Technician to Certified Technologist status. Applications for this Bursary complete with proof of program registration and curriculum outline must be received at the Society office on later than November 30, 2008. All submissions will be coded and the recipient will be chosen by the lottery method. Award recipient’s name will be announced at the TechNova AGM. Official notification will be made to the successful candidate by certified mail. Note: All members are reminded to refer to the TechNova and CCTT websites for other Bursaries and Awards
REGISTRAR’S REPORT To date the membership has shown a steady increase, as more employers strive to have workers certified. It is clearly evident that employers know the importance of having workers certified. With this realization certification gives a competitive edge, when bidding on contracts or to gain public confidence in the services they provide.
Another note is the increase in members wishing to upgrade to the next level, Technician to Technologist. This can be a time consuming process and to this effect I am hoping to assembly an education committee to evaluate course materials and to make recommendations. The education committee would work in conjunction with the Certification Board. Any members wishing to contribute a few hours a week to the committee would be greatly appreciated. On another note with the introduction of the National Technology Benchmarks, focus will also be on having more courses accredited in the province. Joe Simms, CET Registrar
STORY IDEAS WELCOME Leadership in Technology strives to present news, stories and other content in the course of each year that is of particular interest or pertinence to TechNova members. We rely in part on your input to guide and generate articles. This is your publication and you are always encouraged to contribuite. NEWS: Your technology career is ever-changing. Let others know about the changes and trends in your particular field, discipline or worksite. PPROFILES: Want to share your own story? Leadership in Technology is a great way to demonstrate the ways that members utilize technology in their careers. FEEDBACK: Write to us and share your viewpoints (members and non-members alike). Write to info@technova.ca or send your letter/article to the TechNova office.
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STUDENTS AWARDS
Canadian Technology Scholarship Award Meloche Monnex provides ten one thousand dollar scholarships per year to students enrolled in a nationally accredited program. Ten Educational Agencies ( one per province) are invited to submit one nomination each. NSCC nomination for 2008 was Mr. Rick Thibault. To quote NSCC “Rick was a student in our Senior Electrical Engineering Technology program at IT Campus and has been an excellent example of what NSCC would like to see from their graduates. He is an academic leader in the class, a member of our PAC in the capacity of student rep for two years, is one of the volunteer leaders on our NSCC ROV team. He has also participated in the Reach Out to NS project this past fall, is always available for helping out with department projects, and is a great ambassador for our program.�
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Student Achievement Awards To celebrate excellence in education,TechNova is proud to award one hundred dollars to a graduate, as selected by faculty from each accredited program in Nova Scotia. See the box on page 10 for a complete list of 2008 Student Achievement Awards Winners. Canadian Technology Scholarship Award presented by Scott Grant, Manager of Meloche Monnex to Rick Thibault
NSCC TechNova Achievement Award presented by Louis LeBel, CET, to Peter Hubley / Electrical Engineering Technology
NSCC TechNova Achievement Award presented by Louis LeBel, CET, to Roma Shepeta / Electronics Engineering Technology
NSCC TechNova Achievement Award presented by Louis LeBel, CET, to Justin Steeves / Electronics Engineering Technician
NSCC TechNova Achievement Award presented by Louis LeBel, CET, to Chris Mooney / Mechanical Engineering Technology
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EDUCATION
Student movement - A sustaina
University campuses all over the country are coming alive wit Schiefke, Christophe Dossarps and Gabriel Bran Lopez for p what students are doing, not just by us,” demurred Schiefke,
Just a year ago, Schiefke and student Mohamed Shuriye s earmarked for a special sustainability fund. Projects funde paper use in the student union office, a conference last m the movement has hit campuses across the province. St suit.
And the movement appears to be spreading across th
Trent University’s already successful recycling prog stream recycling program -- one stream is for fibre in the 2006-07 school year in which the 7,200 st Sustainable Trent -- a student driven environm mug users and environmental awareness cam
“Trent is unique in Canada,” said John W River, runs from 100 per cent green en installing solar and wind (power),” sa place.” The plant will be rebuilt, givi
Moving west, the University o Talloires, France, along with
Efforts from UBC hav
University pre of greenh Office. its S su
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able success
th green initiatives. Considering the runaway success of their campaign to make Quebec universities greener, you could excuse Peter patting themselves on the back. But the co-founders of the Generations Pact are unfailingly modest. “I think people should be impressed by , 29.
spearheaded a successful drive to get students at Concordia University to to pay a surcharge, amounting to one per cent of fees, that is ed by Concordia’s sustainability fund in 2007-08 include a new on-campus composting facility to open in June, new equipment to reduce month on sustainability in agriculture and the food industry, improvements to the university’s greenhouse and the Generations Pact tour. Now, tudents at McGill and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales have established sustainability funds, and other universities plan to follow
he country.
gram is marked to be taken one step further. The school -- based in Peterborough, Ont. -- will mirror Peterborough’s effort to go to a twoe material and the second is for everything else -- which will make the recycling effort even more user friendly. A student initiative began tudents pay an annual $2 levee fee. Last year the students raised almost $15,000. The money goes towards activities specifically that mental initiative -- carries out, such as a reducing the cost of travel mugs in a lug-a-mug initiative, offering free drink tickets to bus and travel mpaigns.
Wordley, director of the department of physical resources. “We have our own hydroelectric power plant.” The plant, situated on the Otanabe nergy and produces no CO2 emissions. “It is a unique feature on campus when looking at sustainability. Other universities are looking at aid Shelley Strain, sustainability coordinator at Trent. “We’re just so lucky to be able to get such power out of infrastructure that we have in ing Trent University the gift of being totally self-sufficient.
of British Columbia has been on board the eco-wagon since as early as 1990, when its president signed a declaration for sustainability in h 21 other international universities. The pact has since grown to include over 300 schools from all continents.
ve not stopped there.
esidents from across British Columbia signed a Climate Change Statement of Action in March, committing their schools to reducing emissions house gases. “We are beginning this initiative in B.C. and would like to see efforts in Canada,” Charlene Easton, director of the Sustainability “Canadian universities are uniquely positioned because of Canada’s role as a global citizen.” Involving students in its efforts, UBC opened Sustainability Office in 1998. It runs with the help of students, staff and faculty to reduce the environmental footprint left on campus. The office upports Social, Ecological, and Economical Development Studies (SEEDS) and ECOTrek programs, energy management and sustainabilty programs. They are funded through energy savings. Among UBC’s future and current projects is a university town, made up of seven neighborhoods that, when fully complete, will be 50 per cent housed by the school’s students, faculty and staff. It was built on endowment lands and future profits are reported to go to upcoming generations. There are 10,000 people living on campus and the housing project will support another 8,000 residents. The goal of the town is to reduce the environmental footprint on campus. It will mean that students and staff footprints will be reduced by the proximity of where people live and work or go to school. “We are preparing students who will be global citizens,” said Easton. Some Canadian on-campus efforts have already made an impact on provincial government. On April 3, Quebec Environment Minister Line Beauchamp pledged $250,000 to match sustainability funds at Concordia, McGill and HEC. And that is just the start, added Beauchamp, who offered to extend funding to other universities that jump on the sustainability bandwagon. The announcement crowned months of hard work by Schiefke, Dossarps and Lopez, who founded the Generations Pact last year to spur green initiatives on campuses across the province, and to win a provincial commitment to match funds raised by students. It’s pointless to blame previous generations for the environmental mess they have left behind, Lopez noted. Instead, the pact seeks to marry the energy and idealism of youth with the economic clout of their elders to save the planet for future generations. “Yes, it’s utopian, but if we don’t start it, who will?” Lopez asked. “There is hope and we can take it in our hands to make a difference.” Marian Scott and Jill St. Marseille, Canwest News Service Reprinted with permission from © The Vancouver Sun 2008
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The Canadian Council of Technicians & Technologists (CCTT) is pleased to announce the launch of its new national GoTechGirl initiative at the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology Conference (CCWESTT), held in Guelph, Ontario on May 29-31, 2008. Organized in partnership with the National Council of Deans of Technology (NCDoT), GoTechGirl raises awareness among young women in grades 7-11 across Canada, regarding the many exciting careers available in applied science and engineering technology. Made possible through cooperative ventures between CCTT and colleges and technical institutes, the GoTechGirl initiative will feature special events held throughout the year culminating with National Technology Week, Canada’s national celebration of technology careers, held during the first week of November. The official launch of the GoTechGirl initiative was conducted by Lois Sterner, RET, Past-President of CCTT, Nathalie Emond, CET, Instructor at Red River College and Tracey Kucheravy, CET, of Dillon Consulting. Highlights of the GoTechGirl 2008 program include: • Distribution of Career Information packages to over 50 school boards; • Partnering with Girl Guides of Canada and YMYWCA to arrange a series of workshops; • A series of Saturday morning TECH CAMPS at colleges featuring hands-on experiments in a variety of technology fields; • A Poster Contest; • Virtual GoTechGirl Mentors (technicians & technologists answering email questions); • Hosting a sub-group on Facebook for young women to exchange ideas and provide feedback. For more information contact: Rick Tachuk at 613-293-5250, or e-mail rtachuk@cctt.ca
2008 National Technology Week Nov. 3–7 All members are reminded that National Technology Week is held annually the first week of November. National Technology Week is Canada’s showcase of exciting career choices available in applied science and engineering technology. National Technology Week features contests, prizes, activities and programs to help students, teachers and parents explore technical careers. For more information on how to get involved visit: www.techfutures.cctt.ca NTW Contests Poster Design Contest The popular annual feature of NTW returns with a new theme: “What is Canada’s Best Technology Invention ever?” Junior (grades 7-9) and senior (grades 10-12) level entries may be hand-drawn or computer-designed, up to 11” x 17”. A winner at each level will receive a $1000 RESP and $250 BestBuy gift card. Contest deadline is Monday, December 1, 2008. Online Directory: National Technology Week www.nationaltechnologyweek.ca Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT) www.cctt.ca National Council of Deans of Technology (NCDoT) www.ncdot.ca TD Meloche Monnex www.melochemonnex.com Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) www.accc.ca Skills Competences Canada www.skillscanada.com
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SCHOLARSHIP
TechNova College Scholarships I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the help and support you have given me as a recipient of the Ray Fiske Education Award and the Meloche Monnex Continuing Education Bursary. I appreciate your confidence in me and your willingness to contribute to my future education. I want to thank TechNova and TD Meloche Monnex for sponsoring and funding these awards, which will assist me in achieving my education and career goals, and have increased my chances of success. I have had a lot of people ask why I have chosen this career opportunity. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been inventing different things. I have always had an interest in how things worked, taking them apart and tinkering with what’s inside, and I’ve always loved math, but one of my main reasons has always been that my father, Robin Hill CET, works in the electrical field. He completed 16 years as an Electrical/Electronics Technician in the Navy then transferred to the Air Force as an Electrical Generating Systems Technician. After retirement and achieving his CET status, industrial and construction certification, and working in various fields in NS, he has recently joined the NSCC in the Electrical Apprenticeship division as an instructor. Since I grew up around electrical technology, I started looking into different courses offered and decided that I wanted to take a trade. Something I could find interesting and see myself doing as a career, not just a job. Electronic Technology fit perfectly. It offers such a wide spectrum of careers and is in high demand in my region, which means I won’t have to move to another province
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to make a good living. This is something that is very important to me. One year ago this fall I started my first year at the Nova Scotia Community College committed to earning a diploma in Electronic Engineering. I knew that by selecting NSCC I was already headed for a great future, and as I enter my second year of electronics, I reflect on how the past year has been very challenging and rewarding. I expect the knowledge I have gained has prepared me for the rest of my life. To enrich my education, I joined the Remote Operated Vehicle Team (ROV), became the VP Finance for our Student Association, and was able to spend the summer as a Trades & Technologies Summer Student working at the NSCC. This very busy summer turned out more exciting than I could have imagined. In June I traveled with my ROV teammates to San Diego California and competed in the MATE International ROV competition. The ROV Team began in November of 2007 and we are still a team today. With a lot of hard work, determination and a little luck, we made it to the international competition in San Diego, California. I learned about troubleshooting, how the mechanical, electrical and electronic aspects of a project work together, and how to work as a team member in a workplace environment (sometimes till 5am). We had a great trip, a lot of fun, and managed to place 12th overall, in spite of all the bumps we encountered along the way. I made a lot of great friends, contacts, and mentors. Since ROV I’ve been busy working at the NSCC. I’ve been helping with the building of trainers for the Electrical Apprenticeship classes, making test leads and other devices as required, but my
main job for the summer has been refurbishing small transmitters to be placed on endangered Blanding turtles by scientists with Parks Canada. I was able to use the principles and theories I have learned in the classroom. I also found time to attend meetings, conferences, and work on the Financial and other elements of the Student Association, preparing for the upcoming year. I am on schedule to graduate from the Nova Scotia Community College with a Diploma in Electronic Engineering in 2009. I look forward to becoming a member of TechNova after graduation and plan to take advantage of the experiences I have been so fortunate to receive at the NSCC. I hope to become an individual that makes TechNova proud, epitomizing all of the values your organization stands for and by which it has created its highly regarded reputation. Once again, I want to thank you for your generosity and kind spirit in funding these awards, which has provided support and encouragement for both my family and me. I would also appreciate if you would please convey my deep thanks to the other members of the Board. Cheryl Hill
BIOGRAPHY Sean Piercey, CET, BTech, BEd (Adult) Sean graduated from the Nova Scotia Institute of Technology with a Diploma in Electronic Engineering Technology in 1992 and Computer Technology in 1994. Over next ten years, he continued his professional development focusing on business management and education. Sean received a Bachelor of Technology in 2003 and Bachelor of Adult Education in 2005. Over his career, Sean has work for educational institutions such as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and Nova Scotia Community College; as an Electrical Mechanical Engineering Officer in the Army Primary Reserves; and a Service Manager for a consumer electronics repair centre. Currently, Sean is a Technical Instructor at the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School teaching electronics technology courses. Sean has been a member of TechNova since 1990. He has been serving as Councilor since 2006 and on the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board since 2006. This year he has taken on the role as Acting-Vice President of TechNova.
The NSCC, in partnership with Acadia University, mentors a science and technology program in provincial Junior High schools, through a project with the First LEGO League (FLL). In this project, a team of 4 to 10 students, plus a coach perform research, presentations and create an autonomous robot to solve problems relating to a yearly theme. This yearʼs them is called “Climate Connections” and is based on the issues surrounding our increasing climate changes. TechNova is the provincial branch of the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists and is sponsoring $500 to Ecole Jean Marie Gay in South West Nova Scotia. The money is used to purchase a LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit that the student team will use in the Climate Connections challenge program. Joe Simms, registrar of TechNova is presenting the robotics kit to Angeline Thimot, the coach and mentor for the student team from Ecole Jean Marie Gay. Angeline is also the Business Manager of NSCC-Burridge Campus.
Mr. Piercey is the acting Vice President of TechNova
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CCTT Executive Directors Message National Technology Benchmarks Move to Routine Maintenance The definition of an intelligent organization, and by extension, an intelligent operation of any sort, is that procedures are set in place which guide a continuous improvement loop that streams from a review of current practices, to installation of improvements, to review of the “new’ current practices. This is also a characteristic of a mature organization, unafraid of selfappraisal. In my view, the National Technology Benchmarks (NTB) project has rapidly evolved to such a state of intelligent conduct of business. In a word, with the help of, literally hundreds of, people we have moved beyond the development stage and now have a functioning evaluation instrument that can be applied to technologist programs
at educational agencies across Canada. That instrument has now been placed on a continuous improvement loop. As an aside, however, it is true that the job is not quite complete in the application of NTB to the certification of individual technologists. But Registrars from all provincial associations have stated their determination to create a common certification methodology employing NTB. The continuous improvement loop works thus: Posted now on the NTB website is the current official version of the benchmarks. Unsurprisingly it is called the Current Version 1.2.1. This is the one that underwent an extensive review by stakeholders during this past winter and spring. The Current Version will always be on one applied to a current
accreditation. But the Current Version will also be posted on the NTB Forum for comments by Colleges, PACs, CTAB, provincial associations and other stakeholders. The collected comments will be incorporated into a new draft version of the NTB,
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which will be sent to discipline specialists for review prior to being submitted to the joint CCTT – NCDoT National Technology Benchmarks Committee for signoff and posting as the new Current Version. That newest Current Version 1.3 will again be subjected to the review and improvement loop. The schedule for this first loop to come full circle (bad pun) is July 1, 2008. The plan calls for the first few review cycles to be on a quarterly schedule, thereafter, it should move to a semi-annual pattern. But note the key element. Continuous improvement demands continuous
involvement. I encourage all stakeholders to participate in this process. In the end, the true beneficiaries of this intelligent way of doing business will be Canada’s technology professionals, the institutions that train them, and the many enterprises that employ them. And we are now well on the way to doing the same thing for
technicians. Version 1.0 of the NTB for technicians is now posted. Ii is complied in a database for easier commentary. Simply lift the article you wish to comment on, add your suggestions and repost the material. Everyone will be able to see the original text as well as the suggested changes. Everyone will also be able to comment on both the original text and the submitted contributions. This will lead to a very effective
and efficient method of evolving and improving the NTB. The same database approach is being installed to the technologist NTB as well. So again, my appeal to everyone: in an era of rapid technological change, only your continuous involvement will maintain the continuous improvement and currency of the NTB. Please go to the NTB website: www.ntb.cctt.ca
Flow chart for the intelligent conduct of business as it applies to the NTB
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Message from the TechNova president My first summer as President of TechNova has been very challenging. Just weeks after taking the position, our past president went west as so many of our colleagues have done. This may not seem significant; however, John was a key player on several boards. As a result I found myself in the position of recruiting a National Director for the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists, a committee member for Engineers Nova Scotia’s Act Enforcement Committee, a board member for the certification of Building Inspectors, and, of course, a Vice President. The good news is that council members came through, and in fact our Past President and National Director, Steve Shaw, without being asked came back to fill the National Director’s position. I would like to thank all of our councilors for their diligence and also wish our Past President John Siggers, CET, PE, all the best. I also have to thank our ESO for all the work he has done over the summer. Ed has been very busy working on the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act or FARPA, which has now been renamed the Fair Registration Practices Act. Ed is also attending provincial meetings for the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). AIT may address national standards and it is important that regulating groups insure that national standards are maintained. It is only by maintaining high standards that Nova Scotia will be able to compete in the growing global economy. Many of our members did not participate in the TechNova Salary survey last year. These salary surveys are important and are used by employers, government agencies, and youth who are trying to make an educated decision about whether a job would be right for them. According to the National Labour Market Survey (NLMS), it is going to be important to attract more young people to the technology sector, if Canada is going to be able to fulfill future requirements. The first drafts of the reports on NLMS were completed by PRISM, and we are now in the process of vetting them; to that end TechNova hosted a focus group comprised of key employers, educational groups and government representatives. One of the reports that has caught the interest of many across the country is the Changing Roles in Engineering and Technology. This report deals with the occupational overlap between engineers and technologists. When PRISM completes the validation of the reports, I will have the final reports posted on our website. I hope that this process will be completed by the spring. Another report that I reviewed during the summer was the Report on the National Stakeholder Consultation on Attracting and Integrating Technically Trained Immigrants into Canada’s Workforce. This report addresses the growing need for workers in Canada. “Canadian demographic trends provide unequivocal evidence that labour market sustainability overall may only be achieved through increased immigration.” Although I agree with the need for immigration in Canada, I think we have overlooked the fact that many women do not enter the technology workforce. Women have over the centuries come to the aid of countries and temporarily filled positions. It is time for women to take a permanent place in the technology sector and enjoy the benefits of a rewarding and challenging career. Lastly I would like to thank all of the members who have shown interest in becoming an active member by sitting on our boards.
Louis LeBel President TechNova
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LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY Advertising Rates 2008-2009
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202 Brownlow Avenue Cambridge 1, Suite A308, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1T5 Tel: (902) 463-3236 Fax: (902) 465-7567 Toll Free: 1 866 723-8867 info@technova.ca www.technova.ca