Big developments are underway with your ATIA

The ATIA is working closely with the Government of Alberta to secure Title Protection for Certified Translators and Interpreters under the Professional and Occupations Association Registration Act in Alberta.

What is Title Protection?

Title Protection would reserve the right to the titles of “Certified Translator” and “Certified Interpreter” for certified members of the ATIA under provincial legislation.

The fundamental purpose of Title Protection is to regulate professions in the public interest. It serves as a mechanism for informed choice, empowering the general public to understand the risks and benefits associated with their choice in hiring professionals.

As it currently stands, anyone can legally claim to be a “certified translator/interpreter.” With Title Protection, users of translation services will be able to distinguish Certified Translators or Interpreters from uncertified practitioners through the protection of the titles: Certified Translator and Certified Interpreter.

In Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and British Columbia, the titles of “Certified Translator” and “Certified Interpreter” are protected under each province’s respective legislative mandates. Examples of other professions regulated by Alberta’s Professional and Occupations Association Registration Act include Landscape Architects, Professional Planners, Municipal Assessors, Certified Management Consultants, Professional Biologists and Chemists, and Professional Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians.

What does this mean for members of the ATIA?

With Title Protection, only certified members of the ATIA will be able to call themselves “Certified Translator/Interpreter.” Consequently, these protected titles will become synonymous with the professional competence and ethical conduct of the certified members of the ATIA. This will enable the consumer to distinguish between language professionals who meet the guaranteed minimum standard of competence and accountability to the profession from those who do not.

The crux of Title Protection’s utility is informing users of translation and interpretation services and the general public. We are currently developing outreach and engagement initiatives to raise awareness on the standard of competence and accountability guaranteed by language professionals of the ATIA; but we need your support. As members of the ATIA, we are all accountable to our profession – both through our own professional practice and through the public-facing aspects of our field. There are many ways you can engage with your ATIA to forward your own career and the sector as a whole, and every contribution elevates all of us.

For more information on Title Protection, engaging with the ATIA, or how you can contribute to the development of the language sector in Alberta, please contact development@atia.ab.ca.