Announcing Official Certification in Meteorology
June 6, 2011 – On June 5, ECO Canada officially launched the new Professional Meteorologist (P. Met) certification at the 2011 Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) Congress in Victoria, British Columbia.
The P. Met Certification will formally recognize the unique skills and knowledge of meteorologists working in various fields such as forecasting, consulting and research, among other areas.
“Professional credibility for meteorologists has become a priority for the industry. The increased impact of severe-weather and natural disasters has drawn public interest around the work of meteorologists. ECO Canada recognizes that it is imperative to have a mechanism that provides professional credibility to meteorologists” says Grant Trump, CEO of ECO Canada.
“Ongoing professional development is crucial to success as a meteorologist. P.Met provides a framework for professional development and will ensure that Canadian meteorologists stay abreast of the latest forecasting techniques and advancements in the science” says Christopher Scott, Forecast Operations Manager at the Weather Network. “Encouraging meteorologists to be active educators in their community will serve to broaden the public’s knowledge of our profession and ultimately improve the understanding of weather forecasts.”
The development of National Occupational Standards for meteorology, serves as the foundation of the P. Met Certification program and is a result of the collaborative efforts of the entire meteorological community including the private sector, academia and government. National Occupational Standards form the basis for all certification programs offered through ECO and are updated approximately every 5 years to ensure they remain reflective of emerging areas in an ever-changing industry.
Claire Martin, On-Air Broadcaster at CBC says “Like it or not, your local TV weather presenter is often seen as being the ‘face of the science.’ Achieving and displaying a P.Met designation will bring a level of confidence in the individual presenter, and trust in the on-air product that does not currently exist.
Professional certification is awarded based on academic and experiential criteria as well as the evaluation of an individual’s competency level as compared to the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Meteorology. More information is available online at www.eco.ca/meteorology.
This program was funded in part by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.
