CEC Program Upgrades in Planning Stage

By WCTA Staff

After significant focus on administrative improvements over the last 4 years that included upgrades to accounting, information management, email communication and record-keeping systems, the WCTA Board is turning its attention toward the BC Pesticide Certificate Continuing Education Credit (CEC) tracking and education delivery program.

Since 2004, the WCTA has tracked landscape category CEC’s for its members as an alternative to re-writing the pesticide certificate test every 5 years.  According to former Provincial Pesticide Licence Officer Bob Lucy, government favors an ongoing educational approach versus periodic testing for a variety of reasons including better potential for pesticide application safety when applicators stay current and because the Ministry does not have the resources to update exams as often as they would like to keep up with change.

“With proposed IPM Regulatory amendments expected as early as spring 2014, I’m glad we’re now able to work on this project,” stated Keith Lyall, WCTA President.  “I’m very happy to see great results from large scale administrative improvements over the last few years and with CEC program changes the WCTA has already been able to make, for example, convincing MOE to allow credits for first aid certification.  It’s certainly time we focus and invest in bettering this program and is why the Board has approved program expansion to include members of the BCGSA.”

Unlike other provinces where government either performs this service or sub-contracts it out, since the BC IPM Act came into effect in 2004, management responsibility has fallen upon industry organizations like the WCTA.  The program began small but has grown to include over 250 subscribers or approximately 30% of the membership plus several dozen BC Landscape and Nursery Association members.  Also growing over time is the quantity of educational opportunities available.  In any given year, approximately 150 seminar applications are submitted to the Ministry of Environment for approval and the association liaises with each seminar organizer to ensure a high level of accuracy throughout the process.

“The CEC program requires significant resources to operate and manage,” stated WCTA Executive Director, Jerry Rousseau.  “We need to make improvements from both efficiency and delivery perspectives so that a far more powerful and interactive experience is available for everyone enrolled on the program.”

In addition, Rousseau commented, “Tracking points is a big part of the program but as credit coordinator, the key is to provide enough educational opportunities annually for people to recertify.  The Ministry expects the WCTA to deliver these at our annual conference but the bulk of the approvals we process are from other seminar organizers.  By doing do, the WCTA ensures as wide a range of education options as possible in various locations and times so it’s convenient and cost-effective for members to participate.”

“Features like online access, profile updating, automated record sending, a mobile app and more is definitely on the radar,” added Lyall, “and the WCTA is currently discussing options with software developers in hopes of establishing a timeline by early 2014.  If you know anything about the CEC program, you’re probably aware it’s chock full of idiosyncrasies and we’ll definitely want to take the appropriate amount of time so that it becomes a much simpler process.”

Rousseau agrees adding, “The WCTA Board firsts need to create a comprehensive guide and policy for the program.  This will help establish the initial criteria for a new system and will be given to the developer to assess.  The WCTA will also need to consider program changes being mandated by the Ministry such as expansion of the point categories and limiting the allowable points related to fertility training.  The good news is that the technology exists and is nowhere near as costly as it once was to implement.”