Certification standards
Certification as a technician or a technologist requires applicants to meet or exceed the national standards established by Technology Accreditation Canada (TAC). The TAC standards are used by the professional association in each province. Certification standards for Registered Technical Specialists are established by the applicable provincial association.
National technology standards
Technician general
Technician general competencies are required for all technician disciplines. There are 8 general competencies including communication, mathematics, teamwork, computer and mobile device applications, codes, standards and safety.
Technician discipline-specific
Technician discipline-specific competencies are specific to what is required for each discipline. Applicants are required to select 5 competencies that most closely describe the knowledge and skills they have and use in their work.
Technologist general
Technologist general competencies are required for all technologist disciplines There are 8 general competencies including technical report writing, mathematics, sciences, graphic communication, codes, standards and safety.
Technologist discipline-specific
Technologist discipline-specific competencies are specific to each discipline. Applicants are required to select 5 competencies that most closely describe the knowledge and skills they have and use in their work.
International Education Database
Graduates of technology, science or engineering programs outside Canada will be able to search by country, education institution and program to determine if their program is listed.
The list of programs is an indication that a graduate of the program has previously applied for certification and/or the education credential was assessed by subject matter experts. If you graduated from a listed institution and program, you are required to complete the general and discipline-specific sections of the application to determine if the program learning outcomes and your knowledge, skills and competence continue to satisfy current certification standards.
Accredited and Approved Education Programs
Education programs offered in Canadian post-secondary institutions may be accredited by Technology Accreditation Canada (TAC). Graduates of accredited programs are not required to complete the general competencies section of the application.
In several provinces, programs that follow curriculum approved by the provincial government may be approved by the respective technology professional association. Graduates of approved programs may not be required to complete the general competencies section of the application.