Caregiving and Yukon engineers 

Instructor Alison Anderson, P.Eng. is assessing the impact of Engineers Yukon’s recent change to recognize caregiving as a continuing professional development (CPD) activity.  

Professional Engineers are required to complete CPD hours in a range of accepted activities, with the goal of further developing and maintaining their skills in order to protect the public they serve. Caregiving was added as an approved CPD activity in early 2021 to better support caregiving employees, acknowledge the valuable skills that are gained by caregiving, and encourage inclusivity and diversification of the engineering profession. Caregiving involves providing unpaid support to those with physical, psychological, or developmental needs (including children under 18 years of age).  

Alison is evaluating the use, uptake, and impact of caregiving as a CPD activity with a graduate from Concordia University, Angel Henchey. Interviews and surveys of Engineers Yukon registrants were used to gather data on themes related to caregiving and work, to investigate how caregiving and the recognition of caregiving as a CPD activity can positively influence engineers’ work. This study is expected to result in multiple academic publications as well as an industry publication to be shared by Engineers Yukon. 

Alison is doing this research on behalf of Engineers Yukon, with funding from Mitacs. They are the Instructor/Coordinator of the Water and Wastewater Operator Program at YukonU and are also an active volunteer at Engineers Yukon, a body of Professional Engineers that regulates and governs the engineering profession in Yukon. 

Written by student communications assistant Naomi Dedon.