July 15, 2019 – The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) has issued sanctions against 22 construction electricians for engaging in academic misconduct while attending apprenticeship technical training.

An investigation led by Regina-based SATCC and a third-party investigation firm determined apprentices training at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic campus in Moose Jaw, Sask., between 2015 and 2018 obtained access to materials they should not have, including level exams and Red Seal interprovincial certification exams. SATCC co-ordinated the sanctions, which came into effect at the start of this month, with the gas and electrical licensing unit of the province’s ministry of government relations.

The 22 may not work legally as construction electricians in Saskatchewan during the suspension or cancellation of their journeyperson certifications, as per the province’s regulations for situations where SATCC has reasonable grounds to believe such certificates were obtained fraudulently. Further, those who held electrical licences have had them suspended for the same periods (ranging from two to six months), as construction electricians require a valid journeyperson certificate to hold an electrical licence.

Moving forward, SATCC and Saskatchewan Polytechnic are working together to prevent academic misconduct. SATCC now videos all of its exam sittings, senior managers audit them to ensure invigilators are following established procedures and protocols and an external investigator has been retained to investigate any future allegations.

The school, which is SATCC’s primary training provider, is auditing its current exam practices and has created an internal website where students and faculty can share concerns about academic misconduct anonymously. In the longer term, SATCC plans to transition from paper to online exams with enhanced security mechanisms.