ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019 - 38

ASET News
Technology accreditation: A catalyst
for student and employer success
by Richard Stamper
When National Program Accreditation and its value was explained to a colleague, a simple question was asked: "So why
isn't every engineering technology or applied science program accredited?" To which, the reply was offered, "An excellent question indeed!"
Technology Accreditation Canada (TAC) accreditation is an
objective assessment of an engineering technology or applied science program, conducted by a trained, independent
team of industry professionals, against the profession's educational standards. An accredited program provides confidence to students that the program supports their success
by developing a skill set of value to employers. Additionally,
accreditation creates an expedited path for graduates to become a certified professional.
An accredited program provides industry confidence that
the graduates they are hiring have the required skills to be
productive. From an educational institution's standpoint, an
accredited program provides confidence the program they're
delivering meets a defined set of standards, creates a promotional opportunity with which to target prospective students, and supports the program's continuous improvement
process through opportunities for improvement identified in
the audit report, which is presented to the institution at the
conclusion of the audit process.
As the 68 Canadian-wide accredited programs and an additional 59 submitted applications attest, a growing number
of educational institutions, including Lethbridge College, appreciate the value of acreditation. According to Bill Smienk,
Chair of Lethbridge College's School of Engineering Technologies, "Accreditation is important for our students to know
that when they come to Lethbridge College they are receiving
high quality education that meets the needs of industry." Furthering his explanation, he comments, "There are excellent
job opportunities in this field and this acknowledgement from
TAC should give our students the confidence that our program will give them the hands-on experience they need to be
sought-after to fill those careers."

38 | WINTER 2019 | TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA

Educational institutions in Alberta have shown strong support for TAC accreditation, with 37 programs having applied
to the accreditation process. While efforts continue to focus
on educational institutions, we know from our numerous
site visits over the past couple of years that students and
employers don't yet understand what accreditation is and
its value.
To promote the value of accreditation, at the Yukon College
accreditation certificate presentation last fall, students
from the Geological Technology program were provided
with a printed flyer that explained accreditation and its
value. As well, a poster with the same messaging was displayed in the program's main lab. Similar flyers and posters have been distributed at 21 other accreditation certificate presentations.
This fall, TAC launched the second phase of its "Value of Accreditation" communication campaign, targeting industry.
With the goal of generating greater industry support for accreditation, the campaign will define and reinforce the benefits of national program accreditation. Messaging, through
news releases, emails and advertisements, will be aimed at
certified professionals, program advisory committee members, and industry and professional organizations.
With enhanced understanding and support, there is a tremendous opportunity to substantially grow the number of
accredited programs in Canada, which significantly benefits
all stakeholders.
ASET Technology Alberta Winter 2019

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