Professional Chemists Sign Mobility Agreement
Professional Chemists can now transfer their professional registration between provinces across Canada. The Federation of Canada’s Professional Chemists (FCPC) announced today that provincial chemists’ organizations have adopted a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate mobility of professional chemists between provinces. Professional Chemists have requirements for education and work experience. They must also adhere to a strict Code of Ethics that seeks to ensure public health and safety and to protect the environment in the work that they perform.
Through this agreement, Professional Chemists who are members of organizations established in each province will be able to move and work in other provinces. Currently there are six provincial members and two associate members of the FCPC representing over 4000 individual Professional Chemists across Canada.
For more information on the FCPC and to view the agreement, see www.cpchem.ca or email pwest@uvic.ca
Background: The FCPC
The Federation of Canada’s Professional Chemists/ Fédération des chimistes professionnels du Canada was established in June 2014 to promote communication and understanding of the regulation of professional chemists in Canada for the protection of the public. Founding members were six provincial organizations:
L’Ordre des chimistes du Québec (OCQ)
Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario (ACPO)
Association of the Chemical Profession of Saskatchewan (ACPS)
Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA)
Association of the Chemical Profession of British Columbia (ACPBC)
Nova Scotia Chemists’ Society (NSCS)
Pending formal provincial incorporation, the following organizations are associate members:
Association of the Chemical Profession of Manitoba (ACPM)
Association of the Chemical Profession of New Brunswick (ACPNB)
Chemists in Quebec (OCQ) have licensure; ACPA, ACPBC and ACPO have Right to Title granted by their respective provincial governments.
The Memorandum of Understanding
The agreement between the members of FCPC is officially titled:
A Process to Facilitate the Transfer of the Registration of Professional Chemists to other Provincial Organizations in Canada.
In addition to outlining procedures for transferring registration, the agreement contains common educational requirements based on institutions accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) or accredited through the OCQ, or the equivalent. A four year degree in the chemical sciences that includes 1000 hours of classroom and laboratory instruction in the study of molecular entities is required.
A minimum of two years’ work experience is required.