Why They Are Important to Your Application for Certification
A technical reference is an individual who works in the applied science and engineering fields - such as a technican, technologist, engineer, architect, your supervisor or other relevant practitioner - who is able to validate from first-hand knowledge and professional experience your claims for competency.
The individual must have worked directly with the applicant for a period of at least one year with the exemption of their immediate supervisor.
Their contribution is a very important part of your application for certification.
How does the technical reference process work? Each technical reference you identify on your application form is asked to complete an online reference form - the form will include the competencies you claim in your application. The completed references are then reviewed by one or more file reviewers as part of evaluating your application for certification. All information provided by the technical references is kept confidential and is not made available to the applicant.
Important: You must provide a viable email address for each technical reference. The address must not be affected by filters that would block an automated email from TRC requesting a reference.
Who should I choose for my technical references?
- Ideally, each technical reference should be a registered professional. If this is not possible, employers, supervisors and clients would be suitable candidates.
- One of your technical references must be a supervisor who can verify that your most recent job description, submitted with your application, is accurate.
Who should I not choose as a technical reference? Your technical references must be able to validate your technical work. They cannot be family members, friends, instructors and or work colleagues who have no direct influence over your work.
How many technical references do I need? A minimum of four technical references are needed to support your application, including one from your supervisor. However, you should provide as many as are needed to support all your claims for competency.
What should I say to my technical references? Talk to your technical references to be sure they are willing to act on your behalf before you begin your application. You are strongly encouraged to talk with them as you prepare your application so they understand what you will be claiming and so they are prepared when they complete an online reference on your behalf after you have submitted your application.
Are the technical reference documents confidential? Yes. Input by technical references is treated as strictly confidential and is only seen by provincial association registration staff and the file reviewers assigned by the association.
What if a technical reference cannot write in the language used by the professional association I am applying to? Technical references must be completed in the language used by the provincial association to which you are applying. You will be required to pay for a translation in Canada for any technical reference that does not meet this requirement.
What if I am having difficulty identifying technical references to validate my application? Contact the provincial association to which you are planning to apply for certification for guidance.
Misrepresentations by Applicants and Technical References
It is expected that all statements and claims made by the applicant and their technical references will be true in every respect.
Any misrepresentation made by the applicant or a technical reference will result in the immediate cancellation of any certification granted.
Learn more about Other Requirements