RBQ Continuing Education

From April 1, 2022, holders of specific license subclasses will have to keep their knowledge up to date to take into account normative, regulatory and technological changes.

WHAT IS RBQ CONTINUING EDUCATION?

For more information you can click on the link at the bottom of this page or contact RBQ at 1-800-361-0761 option 1.

This obligation aims in particular to reduce the risk that, over time, a gap will be created between the most up-to-date rules of the trade and the guarantor’s practices and that there may be repercussions on the quality of the work and on public safety. It is easy to lose sight, over time, of the limits imposed by the license and the new standards in force.

It should be noted that only guarantors carrying out construction work under the license are affected by this obligation. If there are several guarantors carrying out construction work for the same licence, all must comply with it.

The targeted guarantors will therefore have to take a number of hours of continuing education, during each two-year reference period, in order to maintain their qualification. The first reference period will run from April 1, 2022 until March 31, 2024.

Which contractor license subclasses are covered?

Mandatory continuing education does not currently apply to refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation contractors.  However, the CETAF seems to be continuing its representations to the RBQ so that the mandatory continuing education is extended to its contractor members.

If you hold a license in plumbing, heating, electricity or a general contractor license, you will be required to comply with the new obligation of continuing education.

List of license subclasses covered by the regulations:

• General contractor :
  • 1.1.1-  New residential buildings covered by a guaranty plan, Class I
  • 1.1.2-  New residential buildings covered by a guaranty plan, Class II
  • 1.2-     Small buildings
  • 1.3-     All buildings

• Specialized contractor in heating, plumbing and electricity:
  • 15.1-  Pulsed air heating systems
  • 15.2-  Natural gas burners
  • 15.3-  Oil burners
  • 15.4-  Hydronic heating systems
  • 15.5-  Plumbing
  • 16-      Electrical

• Specialized contractor :
  • 15.1.1- Pulsed air heating systems for certain work that is not reserved exclusively for master pipe-mechanics
  • 15.2.1- Natural gas burners for certain work that is not reserved exclusively for master pipe-mechanics
  • 15.3.1- Oil burners for certain work that is not reserved exclusively for master pipe-mechanics
  • 15.4.1- Hydronic heating systems for certain work that is not reserved exclusively for master pipe-mechanics
  • 15.5.1- Plumbing for certain work that is not reserved exclusively for master pipe-mechanics

How many hours of mandatory continuing education is required?

The majority of targeted guarantors will have to complete a total of 16 hours of continuing education per reference period.  Some will have to follow 24 or 32 hours of training depending on the number of license subclasses they hold or if they have subclasses covered both by the continuing education regulations of the Corporation of Master Electricians of Quebec (CMEQ), the Corporation of Master Pipe Mechanics of Quebec (CMMTQ) and the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ).

To date, all guarantors concerned by the mandatory continuing education in the execution of work, and who held a license valid as of March 31, 2022, have already received a letter from the RBQ indicating the number of hours of training to follow according to their situation. This means that upon obtaining a new license including the subclasses covered by the mandatory continuing education, guarantors are notified following receipt of their license.

To find out more about your personal situation, you can contact your license issuer (CMEQ, CMMTQ and RBQ).

What type of training is allowed for continuing education?

Here are some sample topics:

• Occupational health and safety (e.g. prevention, compensation, contribution, personal protective equipment, confined space, work at height, first aid, first responder, etc.);
• Management of a construction company (e.g. financial management, Act R-20, management, marketing, customer relations, estimates, plans and specifications, project management, work organization, innovation and technology, computer tools , enterprise 4.0, etc.);
• Human resources (e.g. labor standards, labor relations, mobilization of a work team, equity, diversity, retention, labor shortage, succession, workforce training, harassment /discrimination, addictions, employee assistance program, etc.);
• the legal aspects of a business (e.g. legal forms of business, shareholders, contract, legal hypothec, purchase/sale/transfer of a business, tenders (Bureau des soumissions déposées du Québec [BSDQ]), etc. );
• Any other matter relevant to the activities of a construction company (e.g. occupational health and well-being, leadership, brand image promotion, sustainable development, etc.).

If the required training hours are not completed before the end of a reference period, what is the company exposed to?

A notice to comply within 90 days of the end of the reference period will be issued to you. If this notice is not respected, your license will be suspended for the subcategory in question. However, the license of a partnership or legal person may remain in force if another person who is not in default becomes the guarantor.

In which situations is the entrepreneur excluded from mandatory continuing education?

The situations where the entrepreneur can benefit from an exclusion from mandatory continuing education are as follows:

1. The contractor is the technical guarantor for an owner-builder.
2. The contractor domiciled outside Quebec has obtained a license while benefiting from an exemption in accordance with sections 3.1 to 3.2 of the Regulation respecting the application of the Building Act.
3. When the technical guarantor for one of license subclasses 15.1.1, 15.2.1, 15.3.1 or 15.4.1 also acts as a guarantor for a license subclass covered by the mandatory continuing education for master pipe-mechanics.

What support does the RBQ offer to help guarantors fulfill their obligations and transmit the information properly?

The RBQ distributes a directory of continuing education and provides you with a calculation tool that helps you find out the requirements corresponding to your situation, enter your training hours according to the required distribution and consult the status of your file at any time.

A procedure in five (5) steps is proposed to you:

1. Check the number of hours required

To find out the number of hours or training required and their distribution according to your subclasses, you can connect to the online file of the company for which you are a guarantor, through clicSÉQUR, by searching for the My online continuing education file on the RBQ website.

2. Find training in the Continuing Education Directory

All training courses recognized by the RBQ, CMMTQ and CMEQ are grouped together in the online directory. Simply click on View the Continuing Education Directory.

3. Register for training with trainers

When you have made your choice of courses, you can, from the Continuing Education Directory, access the website of authorized trainers, where you will find the information necessary for registration and the required costs.

4. Follow your training and keep proof of it

As you follow your trainings, write down the names of the trainers, as well as the titles and dates of your trainings. It will be necessary to keep for at least 4 years the certificates or the proofs of participation given by your trainers. (Note that the RBQ may require that these documents be consulted up to 2 years after the end of the concerned reference period).

5. Declare hours

Once you have completed your training, you must declare the hours taken. Use the clicSÉQUR connection information of at least one company for which you are a technical representative.  In the My online continuing education file tab, all you have to do is indicate the titles and dates of your training courses and insert the certificates or proof of participation.

Note that only authorized organizations will be able to offer continuing education.  All the important details on this subject can be found on the RBQ website by following the link below.

You can have more details by clicking on the following link:

https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/en/licence/fulfilling-your-obligations/continuing-education/steps-to-be-followed/