Professional competency and continuing education requirements for Alberta's engineering and geoscience workforce have entered a new enforcement phase. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) began enforcing its revised Continuing Professional Development practice standard on November 1, 2026, following a year-long transition period.
The updated requirements place greater responsibility on licensed professionals to assess their competency, identify learning needs and document professional development activities relevant to their areas of practice.
Under the revised standard, licensed professionals must complete mandatory learning modules assigned through their myAPEGA accounts. The modules take an average of six to eight hours in total.
Registrants must also create and maintain a Personal Annual Competency Evaluation plan, known as a PACE plan. The plan is intended to help professionals identify competency gaps and select continuing professional development activities suited to their individual responsibilities and practice areas.
APEGA has made a downloadable PACE plan template available to support this process. Professionals must also declare through myAPEGA that they have created, documented and followed their plans.
All continuing professional development requirements have been assigned, and registrants have a one-year period to complete them. Professionals are expected to have established their PACE plans and be progressing through the required learning activities before their next annual renewal date.
The compliance declaration will become available in myAPEGA two months before the individual's renewal date. APEGA has encouraged registrants to review their online dashboards to confirm assigned requirements and deadlines.
The association also noted that professionals reporting CPD in another Canadian jurisdiction may qualify for an exception under its interprovincial mobility provisions.
The revised standard strengthens the framework for maintaining professional competency across Alberta's engineering and geoscience sectors. Documented learning plans and mandatory education are intended to keep professional knowledge aligned with evolving technical responsibilities and practice requirements.
For employers, engineering firms and project stakeholders, the requirements reinforce the importance of ongoing professional development in supporting competent practice and public safety.
Source: APEGA.
