CLEAR

UK report: professions becoming more difficult to access

A major report has concluded that access to the UK's professions has become more limited.  Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions includes the recommendation that "professions should review their recruitment and internship practices and report to Government by 2010 on improvements."

Indiana proposes sweeping changes to teacher licensing

Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett has proposed a series of changes to teacher licensing that would result in widespread change to the existing system. Revisions would include entry-to-practice requirements , licensure renewal arrangements and certification thresholds. The proposals will be considered by the state's Professional Standards Board and, if approved, will be effective July 1, 2010.

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Randall Everitt to lead Oregon Health Licensing Agency

On August 3, 2009 Randall Everitt will take charge at the Oregon Health Licensing Agency, which regulates 18 professions. Mr Everitt is a veteran of state government service, having begun his career in 1972. He was also previously employed at the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses.

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Forty-five states approve CPA mobility laws

As of July, forty five states have approved practice mobility laws for CPAs, permitting a licensee to practice across jurisdictions.  An interactive map is now available on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) website indicating the latest progress in this initiative.

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Missouri becomes 24th state to join nurse licensure compact

Missouri has approved legislation that will see it join the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). In so doing, the state joins Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin in the system based on mutual recognition of licensure. Licensees hold a single license, issued by the board in their state of residency and are eligible to practice in the other  states covered by the Compact, as long as they follow the host state's practice act .

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UK: report proposes alternatives to statutory regulation

A specialist working group has concluded that alternatives to statutory regulation for currently unregulated occupations in the United Kingdom should be considered. The report lists an "extended menu of regulatory options" including: Light-Touch Regulation: A "Buyer Beware" Approach; Voluntary Self-Regulation; Employer-led Regulation; A Statutory Licensing Regime;  and A Workforce Passport.

The report's findings are not binding on government, and the report will now be assessed by the Department of Health.

Full report.

Maine becomes 50th state to permit pharmacist-administered vaccinations

Pharmacists in Maine will join their counterparts in the rest of the United States in being permitted to to administer several common immunizations, including influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine and others.

“This bill expands access to important preventive health care services,” Governor Baldacci said.  “In particular, I know the Maine Center for Disease Control supports the efforts to provide influenza vaccines to as many people as possible.  I am pleased to sign this bill into law.”

View the Bill.

CLEAR 2009 Annual Conference Luncheon Keynote: preview

CLEAR is pleased to have Professor Lesleyanne Hawthorne from the University of Melbourne as the keynote speaker for the Friday luncheon in Denver.  Professor Hawthorne recently shared with CLEAR some information about her current research and a preview of her keynote address.

"The context of your conference is very timely because the world is experiencing unprecedented flows of people who are very highly skilled, often disproportionately skilled compared to domestic populations, and this shows no signs of abating. . . . We must find ways of making our system be receptive enough to the people arriving in high demand fields such as medicine, so we're using rather than wasting their skills, and the issue of regulation is absolutely core to this."

In her keynote, Professor Hawthorne will address recent changes to the Australian model which includes four pathways to licensure for international professionals trained in very diverse systems.  She will share some of the challenges and the new efficiencies these regulatory options are creating.

Listen to a preview of Professor Hawthorne's keynote.

US and NZ chartered accountants agree mutual recognition agreement

New Zealand follows Canada, Mexico, Australia and Ireland in concluding a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) with the United States for its chartered accountants. The agreement recognizes the qualifications earned in each country and limits the additional educational and examination requirements necessary for licensure.

The MRA will be signed in Wellington, New Zealand on August 12.

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UK report demands uniformity when addressing allegations against school staff

Allegations Against School Staff (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmchilsch/695/69502.htm), a report from a UK parliamentary committee expresses concern at the current system of investigating allegations against educators.  Among the recommendations are calls for the compilation of a more comprehensive data on complaints , better coordination among those involved with the investigation process, calls for guidance about when suspension of staff is appropriate, and consideration of statutory anonymity for those subject to a complaint.

The report has been broadly welcomed by stakeholders.