OSPE’s Programs Reach Throughout Ontario

By Annette M. Bergeron, MBA, P.Eng.

Marking our 10th Anniversary, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) continues to expand its programs across Ontario. We have visited PEO chapters across the province to talk about the programs we offer, welcome new engineers to the profession at licensing ceremonies, and demonstrate that PEO and OSPE work together for the profession. OSPE has also been visiting universities to talk to engineering students about: engineering as a profession; licensure; programs and services; and advocacy issues that are of relevance to engineers.

OSPE was also well represented at PEO Chapter meetings in Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Scarborough, East Toronto and North Bay, where we will join our PEO friends to celebrate that Chapter’s 40th Annual Engineers Day in January.

In addition, OSPE’s Ongoing Professional Development Programs continue to be offered and developed throughout the province. These include, for example: Personal Productivity and Time Management in London in March, 2010; Project Management Professional Preparatory Workshops in Barrie in July; and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerating Fundamentals in Oshawa in November, to name but a few.

For those unable to attend in person, OSPE has also facilitated participation by land line telephone for distance learning courses.

I gave a keynote address at the 2009 National Conference on Women in Engineering at the University of Toronto, and a welcoming address at the annual PEO Student Conference at Queen’s University in Kingston, both taking place in November. Not only does this serve to increase student awareness of engineering, it informs them about the benefits of becoming a student member of OSPE and PEO. University events in 2009 included Career Fairs, Student Sessions and Presentations at universities in Guelph, Waterloo, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto and Sudbury.

If your PEO Chapter or group would like more information on OSPE, please visit www.ospe.on.ca, By working together, we will continue to raise the Voice of Ontario’s engineers throughout the province.

Annette M. Bergeron, MBA, P.Eng., is President and Chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers – The Voice of Ontario’s Engineers.