Articling Requirements with a Sponsor

Articling Requirement

Trainees meet this requirement by completing 24 months of qualifying work experience under the guidance of a practising registrant sponsor (RPF or RFT). Work experience gained during the enrolment period prepares you for practising registration and the obligations and rights of a practising professional.

To meet this requirement, you must maintain contact with your sponsor, complete a professional development plan, complete a professional practice diary, and submit work history forms on the LMS.

The articling requirement ensures trainees experience a wide range of professional forestry practices, develop professional practice skills, and receive guidance on the application of legislation to their practice.

Qualifying Work Experience

You are required to demonstrate that you have satisfied the articling requirement by submitting work history forms in six-month increments throughout your roadmap to practising registration. The articling (work history) checkpoints are an opportunity to ensure that you are completing qualifying work experience.

Qualifying work experience

  • must be gained after you are granted trainee registration status. You can begin to record work experience on your approved FPBC admission date;
  • is gained under the guidance or supervision of a sponsoring practising registrant;
  • must be directly related to professional forestry practice;
  • may include volunteer work, work done outside of BC, a bachelor, master’s, or doctorate degree related to forestry; and
  • should cover the reserved practice areas of the trainee’s target designation.

Professional Development Plan

A professional development plan is a summary of the knowledge and experience you plan to acquire during your enrolment period. The plan sets out the intended course of action that a trainee will need to take to develop and improve upon knowledge and skills. You will build this plan with the support of your sponsor.

Professional Practice Diary

A professional practice diary is a chronological, written record of the activities you take to meet the learning goals outlined in your professional development plan. Forest professionals are encouraged to build and maintain a practice diary as an opportunity for reflection, professional development, and record keeping.

Finding a sponsor

As trainee, you must have a sponsor during your enrolment period. Among other things, your sponsor agrees to oversee your growth and development as you work towards becoming a practising registrant. Sponsors periodically review your practice diary and professional development plan, and help to identify practice areas that may be missing in your work experience.

Individuals pursuing an RPF designation must be sponsored by a practising RPF. Individuals pursuing an RFT designation can be sponsored by either a practising RFT or a practising RPF.

You will identify a sponsor when completing your application for registration as a trainee with FPBC.

Your sponsor:

  • must be an practising registrant in good standing with FPBC;

  • must not be related by blood or marriage to the trainee, per the Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct;

  • must not be in a subordinate position to the trainee.

Find a sponsor by:

  • getting recommendations or suggestions from colleagues;
  • networking within your community (who do you look up to, who are you comfortable with?);
  • using the registry of BC forest professionals to identify individuals who work in your area; or
  • contacting the registration and compliance department for assistance.

Changing your sponsor

While you need to have a sponsor at all times during your enrolment period, it is possible to change your sponsor.

There are many reasons why you may need to change your sponsor, such as relocation, incompatibility, employment change, your sponsor can no longer maintain the commitment, or your sponsor ceases to be a practising registrant in good standing.

The change-of-sponsor process is simple and can be completed once you have identified a new sponsor.