Twenty-two students who studied to become construction electricians at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Moose Jaw campus have been sanctioned for engaging in academic misconduct during their apprenticeship technical training.
The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) announced in a news release on July 4 it had issued the sanctions against the students. Sanctions include the suspension and cancellation of journeyperson certifications for various lengths of time and the suspension of apprenticeships for various lengths of time.
After the SATCC and a third-party investigation firm conducted an investigation, they determined the apprentices obtained access to materials they should not have had during technical training, including level exams and Red Seal interprovincial certification exams.
The investigation determined the misconduct took place from 2015 until 2018 among some apprentices attending technical training at the Sask. Poly’s Moose Jaw campus, the news release said. Section 40 of The Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission Regulations gives the SATCC the ability to suspend or cancel certificates where the organization has reasonable grounds to believe they were obtained fraudulently.
Since the construction electrician trade is compulsory, the individuals are not able to work legally in Saskatchewan as construction electricians during the suspension or cancellation periods.
People working in compulsory trades must be either registered apprentices working under the supervision of a certified journeyperson or certified journeypersons themselves. In other words, apprenticeship and certification are required to work in these trades.
The construction electricians who possessed electrical licences have had them suspended for the same period of time that their journeyperson certifications are cancelled or suspended. In order to hold an electrical licence, construction electricians require a valid journeyperson certificate.
The SATCC co-ordinated its sanctions with the Ministry of Government Relations’ Gas and Electrical Licensing unit. The electrical licensing program applies to contractors, employers and individuals who perform electrical work, the news release said. This process protects the public by ensuring electrical installations comply with safety standards.
Moving forward, the SATCC and Saskatchewan Polytechnic are working together to prevent instances of academic misconduct from occurring in the future.
The SATCC now videotapes all of its exam sittings. Senior managers audit exam sittings to ensure exam monitors are following established procedures and protocols. An external investigator has also been retained on contract to investigate any future allegations of academic misconduct.
The SATCC plans to transition from paper exams to online exams with enhanced security mechanisms, the news release said. The SATCC is also committed to working closely with its training providers to establish stronger practices related to program integrity, exam procedures and protocols.
“Saskatchewan Polytechnic is conducting an audit of the institution’s current exam practices,” it said in the news release. “A new policy will be drafted based on the findings.”
Saskatchewan Polytechnic is developing and providing additional training for faculty on best practices for safeguarding exams and exam integrity. The institution has also created an internal website where faculty and students can share concerns about academic misconduct anonymously.
The SATCC oversees the apprenticeship and trade certification system in Saskatchewan. The SATCC trains apprentices; certifies apprentices and tradesmen; regulates the apprenticeship system of training; and promotes apprenticeship. Saskatchewan Polytechnic is the SATCC’s primary training provider.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic is contracted to provide apprenticeship technical training for construction electrician apprentices across Saskatchewan.
