CERTIFYING TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS FOR 50 YEARS

TechNova was established as the Society of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists of Nova Scotia in 1967 by a group of local engineers, educators and technology professionals in order to maintain and regulate National Technology Bench Marks for technicians and technologists. While this remains its legal name, the Society adopted the business name “TechNova” in 2004 to reflect its growing number of applied science members and to help it stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Nova Scotia was the first Atlantic province in Canada to form such a professional association, with New Brunswick and Newfoundland following suit in 1968 and PEI forming its own association in 1972. Today, there is a network of 10 provincial associations representing more than 41,000 certified technicians and technologists. Each association is responsible for certifiying their members to the same standards and for regulating the professional designations CET (T.P. in Quebec), C.Tech and AScT.

This uniformity of purpose and adherence to a common set of professional standards ensures employers, their clients, and the general public that regardless of where a member may originate, he or she has the training, work experience and ethical principles to function at a superior level of performance.

In 1973, the 10 provincial associations established the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT) for the purpose of representing their combined interests on the national and international stage.

In 1999, TechNova was granted “right-to-title” legislation. Known as the Applied Science Technology Act, the legislation is regulated by TechNova and restricts use of the professional designations CET, C.Tech and AScT to members in good standing. The law is designed to protect members and the public by restricting use of these terms and designations to only qualified professionals as determined by TechNova. Every offence under the Act can result in fines up to $5,000, imprisonment, or both.

Today TechNova has a membership of approximately 2000 members in 14 engineering and applied science disciplines.