Employers’ Area€¦ · Communication from the TRB to certificate holders makes it clear that it...
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Employers’ Area User Manual June 2014
Transcript of Employers’ Area€¦ · Communication from the TRB to certificate holders makes it clear that it...
Employers’
Area
User Manual
June 2014
Employers’ Area
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1
Creating an Account and Applying for a Login .................................................................................... 1
Maintaining your Account ....................................................................................................................... 1
Using the Employers’ Area ...................................................................................................................... 2
2. News & Notices ...................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Manuals ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
4. Certificate Verification Tool ................................................................................................................ 3
Creating and Uploading Files for Processing ........................................................................................ 3
Understanding the Results ....................................................................................................................... 3
Investigating “No Record Found” or “Invalid” Results ..................................................................... 5
5. Payroll Deduction of the Annual Practice Fee ............................................................................... 6
Identifying the Legislation ........................................................................................................................ 6
Reviewing the Annual Fee Timeline ..................................................................................................... 10
Remitting Payroll-Deducted Annual Fees ........................................................................................... 12
Noting the Common Discrepancies Resulting in Refunds to Employers ...................................... 20
Looking for Answers to Frequently Asked Questions ...................................................................... 21
6. Your Employees (Employee Lists) .................................................................................................. 24
Identifying the Legislation ...................................................................................................................... 24
Creating and Uploading Lists ................................................................................................................ 25
Understanding the Tabs and Results .................................................................................................... 25
7. Prospective Employees ....................................................................................................................... 29
Accepting the Conditions of Use .......................................................................................................... 29
Searching Prospective Employees ........................................................................................................ 29
Understanding the Results ..................................................................................................................... 30
8. Technical Assistance ........................................................................................................................... 30
Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File.................................................................................................... 30
Contacting Us .......................................................................................................................................... 31
9. Important Information ........................................................................................................................ 32
Employers’ Area
1. Introduction The Employers’ Area is a secure area of the website for the Teacher Regulation Branch of the British Columbia Ministry of Education. It is designed for the exchange of information between the Teacher Regulation Branch and the employers of Ministry of Education certificate holders. Enter the Employers’ Area via the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) website by entering www.bcteacherregulation.ca into your internet browser. Click on “employers” at the top right-hand side of the home page and log in to the site using your Employer ID and Password.
Creating an Account and Applying for a Login
If you do not have an account, you will need to apply for one using the Employers’ Area Application Form on the TRB website. Once your application is submitted, it will be reviewed and, when it is approved, you will receive an email confirming your Employer ID and Password. The Password you receive is a temporary password. There will be instructions in the email on how to change the password. Once this is completed, you will be able to access the Employers’ Area.
Maintaining your Account
When you are allocated an Employer Account you are responsible for:
• informing the TRB if the contact email address or phone number has changed, and • informing the TRB if the contact person has changed.
If you have forgotten your password, click on “Forgot Password” in the menu on the left-hand side of the Employers” Area screen. Enter your Employer ID and your email address. A temporary password will be emailed to you. There will be instructions in the email on how to change the password.
Employers’ Area
Using the Employers’ Area
Once you have logged in to the Employers’ Area, you will see the following menu items: News & Notices, Manuals, Certificate Verification Tool, Payroll Deduction, Your Employees, and Prospective Employees. This Employers’ Area User Manual is divided into sections (below) that mirror those menu items in the Employers’ Area and gives instruction on how to use each section. Supplemental information is provided in the “Important Information” section at the end of the Manual.
Employers’ Area
2. News & Notices Click on “News & Notices” to obtain the most current information pertinent to employers of BC Ministry of Education certificate holders. This information may include materials regarding annual fees, employee reporting, and/or updates on legislation pertaining to teaching.
3. Manuals Click on “Manuals” to view the Employers’ Area User Manual.
4. Certificate Verification Tool The “Certificate Verification Tool” allows you to obtain information about an individual’s certificate status. If you wish to check the certificate status of a group of teachers, the most efficient tool is the “Certificate Verification Tool.”
Creating and Uploading Files for Processing
Begin by creating a Text (Tab Delimited) file that lists the required data about each certificate holder about whom you wish to inquire. The required data includes Surname, Date of Birth and, if it is known, the Certificate Number. If you need information about how to create a Text (Tab Delimited) file, please see “Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File” on page 30. Once you have created your Text (Tab Delimited) file, simply upload it in the area provided. An automated process will compare your uploaded list with the TRB’s database and will produce a results document.
Understanding the Results
Within 24 hours of your uploading the list, you may access the results in a downloadable file (called a “Response File”) containing the TRB’s information about the status of those certificate holders contained in your list. The Response File is available in Text (Tab Delimited), CSV (Comma Delimited), and Excel formats and will contain the following fields: Surname (if provided), Certificate Number, Date of Birth (if provided), Certificate Holder Status, Certificate Type, Valid From, Valid To, Restriction, and Criminal Record Check Status. Surname
This column will contain the surname contained in the uploaded file.
Employers’ Area
Certificate Number
This column will contain the certificate number for a known certificate holder. If the uploaded file does not contain a certificate number, it will be inserted automatically if the surname and date of birth match the TRB database. Date of Birth
This column will contain the date of birth contained in the uploaded file. Certificate Holder Status
This column contains the current status of the certificate. If the status is “VALID To Jun 30, YYYY,” this means that the certificate holder has a current, valid certificate. Only certificate holders with this status may be employed by a school. Please note that this certificate holder status is based on the annual practice fee and not on the validity date of a certificate (if applicable). This column will also identify certificates that are suspended, cancelled, relinquished, and invalid or expired. It will report that the status is “Unknown" if the information uploaded did not result in a match with any certificate holders in the TRB database. Certificate Type
This column will contain the individual’s certificate type. Valid From
This column will contain the date that the certificate showing in the response file is valid from. Valid To
This column will contain the date that the certificate showing in the response file expires, if applicable. The Conditional, Developmental Standard Term and Letter of Permission types will have a date. This is different from the “Valid to” date that appears under the Certificate Status column, which is an indication of whether or not a certificate holder has paid his/her annual fee. Restriction
This column will contain the type of restriction placed on the individual’s certificate, if applicable. Certificates could be restricted to a specific subject area, based on the individual meeting the requirements to receive only a certificate restricted to that area, ie Counseling Psychology. Certificates with restrictions are valid teaching certificates. Criminal Record Check Status
This column indicates whether or not a certificate holder is due to complete a criminal record check by the end of the current year. A “Required by Dec 31/20XX” result is generated if the certificate holder is required to complete a criminal record check by the end of the current year. A “Completed” result is generated if the certificate holder has completed a criminal record check within the last 5 years and therefore is not required to complete the criminal record check at this time.
Employers’ Area
Investigating “No Record Found” or “Invalid” Results
Upon review of your Response File, you may notice entries marked “No record found” or “Invalid.” A “No record found” result is generated when there are mismatches in information between entries in an uploaded file and certificate holder records within the TRB database. An “Invalid” result is generated if the educator does not currently hold a valid teaching certificate. It is important to note that if a “No record found” or “Invalid” result is generated, the Criminal Record Check Status will not be shown. For further descriptions regarding the categories of validity for certificates and an explanation about employing these individuals, please see “Employers Responsibilities/Actions” at the end of this User Manual.
Employers’ Area
5. Payroll Deduction of the Annual Practice Fee The 2014-2015 annual fee covers the period of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 and must be paid to validate and to keep the teaching certificate in good standing. The fee for this academic year is $80. The Teachers Act does not have special provisions for certificate holders who are not currently using their teaching certificate for employment purposes, receiving retirement benefits, on long-term or short-term disability, or on any leave of absence. Annual fee payment is required to remain in good standing. If an annual fee is not received by the Teacher Regulation Branch by October 31, 2014, the teaching certificate must be cancelled. The annual fee is a professional fee required under provincial law and, for income tax purposes, is tax deductible. The annual fee is GST exempt.
Identifying the Legislation
In December 2011, the School Act and the Independent School Act were revised. Each year, employers are required to payroll deduct an annual fee for each certificate holder in their employ on April 30 and remit to the TRB by May 15. Both acts recognize that some certificate holders, particularly teachers-on-call, may be employed by more than one employer. Section 168.2 of the School Act and section 14.1 of the Independent School Act state that the board/authority must not (a) deduct the fee from a certificate holder’s wage, and (b) remit the fee in respect of the certificate holder if another board/authority remits the fee to the government for a certificate holder. For your convenience, the appropriate sections of these acts are available on the following pages. Communication from the TRB to certificate holders makes it clear that it is the certificate holder’s responsibility to maintain his/her teaching certificate including identifying which employer he/she would like to deduct the fee, if employed by more than one employer. However, employers are encouraged to liaise with certificate holders who may have multiple employers (e.g. TOCs) to establish which employer will be making the deduction on their behalf. In turn, the TRB will assist by returning duplicate fees to the employer and providing a full accounting for the fees. The TRB does not issue income tax receipts for payroll-deducted fees. The fees should be accounted for by the employer on the employee’s Statement of Earnings (T4).
Employers’ Area
Excerpt from the School Act Annual practice fee 168.2 (1) In this section, "fee" means the annual practice fee, prescribed under the Teachers Act, for a certificate of qualification. (2) Subject to subsection (4), a board must deduct once a year, from the wage of a certificate holder employed with the board, an amount that is equal to the fee. (3) Subject to subsection (4), on or before May 15 each year, a board must
(a) remit to the government the fee in respect of each certificate holder employed by the board on April 30, and
(b) provide the minister with the name of each certificate holder for whom the board has remitted the fee to the government.
(4) The board must not
(a) deduct the fee from a certificate holder's wage, and
(b) remit the fee in respect of the certificate holder
if another board or an authority as defined in the Independent School Act remits the fee to the government for that certificate holder.
Employers’ Area
Excerpt from the Independent School Act
Annual practice fee 14.1 (1) In this section, "fee" means the annual practice fee, prescribed under the Teachers Act, for a certificate of qualification or an independent school teaching certificate. (2) Subject to subsection (4), an authority must deduct once a year, from the wage of a certificate holder employed with the authority, an amount that is equal to the fee. (3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), on or before May 15 each year, an authority
must
(a) remit to the government the fee in respect of each certificate holder employed by the authority on April 30, and
(b) provide the minister with the name of each certificate holder for whom the
authority has remitted the fee to the government.
(4) The authority must not
(a) deduct the fee from a certificate holder's wage, and
(b) remit the fee in respect of the certificate holder
if another authority or board remits the fee to the government for that certificate holder.
(5) The minister, by order, may vary the dates set in subsection (3).
Employers’ Area
Excerpt from the Teachers Act Annual practice fee 37 (1) A certificate holder must pay a prescribed annual practice fee on or before May 31
each year unless the fee is remitted, in respect of the certificate holder, by
(a) a board of education under section 168.2 [annual practice fee] of the School Act, or
(b) an independent school authority under section 14.1 [annual practice fee] of the
Independent School Act.
(2) If a certificate holder is in default of paying the annual practice fee, the director of certification must give notice to the certificate holder that the annual practice fee and a prescribed late fee are due and payable no later than June 30.
(3) If a certificate holder continues to be in default after June 30, the director of
certification must
(a) suspend the certificate holder's certificate of qualification effective July 1, and
(b) give notice to the certificate holder that the annual practice fee and an additional prescribed late fee are due and payable no later than October 31.
(4) If a certificate holder continues to be in default after October 31, the director of
certification must cancel the certificate holder's certificate effective November 1.
Employers’ Area
Reviewing the Annual Fee Timeline
Mid-February 2014 Email to all employers (including school districts and independent school authorities) providing information about remitting 2014-2015 annual fees.
Early March 2014 Fee notices emailed to certificate holders. As the Teacher Regulation
Branch of the Ministry of Education does not track each certificate holder’s employment, an annual fee notice is mailed directly to each certificate holder.
March 3, 2014 (noon) Online payment through the Teacher Regulation Branch website will
be available to certificate holders who are not employed by a school district or independent school authority and who must submit their own annual fee.
Mid-April 2014 A reminder emailed to employers to remit 2014-2015 payroll-
deducted annual fees by May 15, 2014. May 15, 2014 On or before May 15, employers must remit to the Teacher
Regulation Branch an annual fee for every certificate holder in their employ on April 30. This payment must be accompanied by a list of the certificate holders for whom you are remitting the annual fee.
Mid-May 2014 A reminder emailed to certificate holders who have not remitted an
annual fee. June 1 – 30, 2014 Fees paid during this period will be subject to a $30 Late Fee. June 6, 2014 A reminder mailed to certificate holders who have not remitted an
annual fee and pending suspension warning if not paid by June 30, 2014.
June 30, 2014 Last day to pay 2014-2015 annual fee.
Final day for a certificate holder to relinquish his/her teaching certificate to the Teacher Regulation Branch to qualify for a refund of the payroll-deducted fee.
July 1, 2014 If the Teacher Regulation Branch has not received the annual fee for
a certificate holder, the teaching certificate is suspended. The certificate holder’s status appears as suspended on the online registry on the Teacher Regulation Branch website. A letter will be mailed to the certificate holder advising of the suspension.
Employers’ Area
Early July 2014 Official letter of suspension sent to all certificate holders who have not remitted the annual fee. The Director of Certification will also notify employers of certificate holders who are suspended.
July 1 – October 31, 2014 Fees paid during this period will be subject to a $60 Late Fee. When
the annual fee and the late fee are received by the Teacher Regulation Branch, the suspension will be removed.
Early October 2014 A reminder emailed to certificate holders who have not remitted the
annual fee and late fee and pending cancellation warning if not paid by October 31, 2014.
October 15, 2014 Fees remitted by employers will have been reconciled by the Teacher
Regulation Branch. Refunds will be processed and mailed to employers.
October 31, 2014 Last day to pay annual fee with a $60 Late Fee. November 1, 2014 If the Teacher Regulation Branch has not received the annual fee and
late fee from a certificate holder, the teaching certificate is cancelled. The certificate holder is removed from the online registry. (Note: If a certificate holder has a discipline record, is suspended or has signed an undertaking not to practise pending the result of a disciplinary proceeding, the record will remain on the online registry.) A letter will be mailed to the certificate holder advising of the cancellation.
Early November 2014 Official letter of cancellation sent to all certificate holders who have
not remitted the annual fee. The Director of Certification will also notify employers of certificate holders who are cancelled.
November 30, 2014 A full accounting and confirmation of fees received is mailed to each
employer. This information will assist employers in correcting their employees’ Annual Statement of Earnings (T4).
Employers’ Area
Remitting Payroll-Deducted Annual Fees
There are three steps for preparing and remitting payroll-deducted fees. 1. Verifying Certificate Holders
Before remitting annual fees, the employer must verify that the certificate holders whose fees are being remitted are in good standing with the Teacher Regulation Branch. The “Certificate Verification Tool” in the Employers’ Area facilitates this process. 2. Preparing the List
The list of certificate holders should be appropriately named and include all of the three identifiers noted below. Please sequence the identifiers as shown in the sample format. We suggest the following naming convention. If you are a school district, the district number should be part of the name e.g. SD005-FEES2014-15. If you are an independent school or authority, the name of the authority/school should be part of the name, e.g. SCHOOLNAME-FEES2014-15. The maximum number of characters is 20. The following identifiers are required:
• Last name • Certificate number, if known (This number is unique and comprises an “L” or “J” character
followed by 6 numerical digits.) • Birth date (Please ensure the format shows numerically as year/month/day, e.g.
1981/01/31. The delimiter may be a “/” or a “-”. Please do not include social insurance numbers as this is personal information that should not be shared. The above identifiers will only be used to verify the certificate holder’s identity and to apply the fee to the correct certificate holder. The file may be prepared in Excel (in separate columns) or in a Text (Tab Delimited) file format. Below is a sample format of an Excel file: Last Name Certificate # Date of Birth Smith L000123 1981/01/31
If you need information about how to create a Text (Tab Delimited) file, please see “Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File” on page 30. A step-by-step process for uploading your payroll-deducted list follows on page 14. If you have any questions about or require assistance with preparing and uploading your list, please contact the TRB by email at [email protected]. It is critically important that files are received with the requested information. Incomplete or incorrect files will result in processing delays.
Employers’ Area
Before proceeding, we recommend that you run your list once again through the “Certificate Verification Tool.” This will allow you to verify that you are remitting fees for valid certificate holders and provide you with another opportunity to check any discrepancies. 3. Remitting Fees and Uploading Payroll Deducted Lists
Payment can be made by cheque or direct deposit.
• Payment by cheque:
1. Send the cheque and remittance form (page 23) to the Teacher Regulation Branch. The cheque should be payable to the Minister of Finance and mailed to 400 – 2025 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6J 1Z6.
2. Log into your account in the Employers’ Area. Using the “Payroll Deduction” function, upload your list of certificate holders for whom you are remitting the annual fee.
3. The TRB will match the cheque and remittance form to the uploaded list and then
process the list. Please allow three business days for the processing of files and fees.
• Payment by direct deposit:
1. Direct deposit funds into the Teacher Regulation Branch’s bank account:
Bank: Royal Bank of Canada Main Branch – Royal Centre 1025 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6E 3N9 Institution Number: 003 Transit Number: 00010 Account Number: 103-584-9
2. Log into your account in the Employers’ Area. Using the “Payroll Deduction” function,
upload your list of certificate holders for whom you are remitting the annual fee.
3. Email the remittance form (page 23) and the direct deposit confirmation to [email protected].
4. The TRB will match the direct-deposit payment to the list and then process the list. Please allow five business days for the processing of files and fees.
Employers’ Area
Step-By-Step Guide for Uploading Payroll-Deducted Lists
There are ten steps in the process for uploading your payroll-deducted list to the Employers’ Area of the Teacher Regulation Branch website. (Please note that you will need access to the Employers’ Area of the TRB website at www.bcteacherregulation.ca. If you do not have access, please contact us at [email protected] and we will assist you in setting up an account.) 1. Log into the Employers’ Area.
Employers’ Area
3. Select the “Browse” button if you are using Internet Explorer, or the “Choose File” button for other types of browsers.
4. Once you have selected the “Browse” button, a dialog window will pop up where you can choose the file (your list) that you would like to upload.
Employers’ Area
5. Choose the file and then select the “Upload” button to upload the file.
6. If you have uploaded the file successfully, the file will appear in the “Uploaded File History” table with the date confirming the date of the upload.
Employers’ Area
7. The “Received Date” will show the date that the uploaded file is accepted by the TRB.
8. The “Processed Date” will show once the uploaded file is processed by the Teacher Regulation Branch.
Employers’ Area
9. The “Rejected Date” will show if the uploaded file cannot be accepted by the Teacher Regulation Branch.
10. You can upload multiple files if needed. Please ensure files are adequately named.
Employers’ Area
Noting the Common Discrepancies Resulting in Refunds to Employers
There are four main reasons why the Teacher Regulation Branch will return an annual fee payment to an employer: 1. Employers often remit the annual fee for employees who do not hold a valid BC Ministry of
Education teaching certificate. The “Certificate Verification Tool” in the Employers’ Area of the TRB website can be used to verify if an employee is a valid certificate holder.
2. A certificate holder who is employed on April 30 and who will be retiring by June 30, 2014 has until June 30, 2014 to relinquish his/her teaching certificate. The TRB will refund the 2014/2015 annual fee to the employer in order that the certificate holder’s T4 Statement of Earnings can be amended. In turn, the employer will need to refund the former employee.
3. If the TRB received the annual fee for a certificate holder from multiple employers, the TRB will retain the first fee received and refund subsequent fees. The refund is made to the employer as the certificate holder’s T4 Statement of Earnings will need to be amended. In turn, the employer will need to refund the employee.
4. Employees working on Letters of Permission are not certificate holders and are not required to pay the annual fee.
If a certificate holder inadvertently pays the annual fee directly to the TRB and is also payroll deducted by an employer, the TRB will retain the payroll-deducted fee and refund the certificate holder. Refunds to employers can only be made once all fees received have been reconciled by the TRB. This process will be completed by October 15, 2014.
Employers’ Area
Looking for Answers for Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should an employer deduct the annual fee for a Teacher-On-Call?
A: The School Act and the Independent School Act require that the board or authority must deduct and remit the annual fee for each certificate holder employed by the board or authority on April 30. Both Acts recognize that some certificate holders, particularly TOCs, may be employed by more than one employer. Section 168.2 of the School Act and section 14.1 of the Independent School Act state that the board/authority must not (a) deduct the fee from a certificate holder’s wage, and (b) remit the fee in respect of the certificate holder if another board/authority remits the fee to the government for a certificate holder. Please liaise with certificate holders who may have multiple employers to establish which employer will be making the deduction on their behalf. Q: Should an employer deduct the annual fee for a certificate holder who is on a leave of absence?
A: The School Act and the Independent School Act require that the board or authority must deduct and remit the annual fee for each certificate holder employed by the board or authority on April 30. If you are unable to payroll deduct the fee because the certificate holder is on a leave and not receiving a pay cheque, please ensure that you notify the certificate holder that you will not remit the annual fee and advise him/her to pay the fee directly to the TRB. Q: Will the employer receive a confirmation from the Teacher Regulation Branch acknowledging the receipt of the uploaded list and payment?
A: If you require an acknowledgement of receipt of your list and payment, please request an acknowledgement by email at [email protected]. Alternately, you may confirm the status of your file by again logging into your account in the Employers’ Area. Q: Who should the employer contact for assistance with preparing and uploading the list and remitting payment?
A: If you have any questions about or require assistance with preparing your list or remitting your payment, please contact us by email at [email protected]. You can also refer to the sections in this guide on remitting payroll-deducted fees and uploading payroll-deducted lists. Q: What should an employer do if errors are discovered in the list that is uploaded?
A: Please contact us by email [email protected]. We will work with you to resolve any errors and solve problems encountered during the process.
Employers’ Area
Q: Should an employer deduct an annual fee for a person who is currently applying for a teaching certificate?
A: Boards of Education and Independent School Authorities should only employ educators who hold a valid teaching certificate. As part of the application process, the TRB will ensure that a newly certified educator pays the annual fee for the remainder of the current and the upcoming academic year. For example, if the applicant receives a teaching certificate in early May 2014, the TRB will require the new educator to pay the pro-rated fee to June 2014 plus the annual fee to June 2015. Q: How can an employer submit the list of payroll-deducted fees?
A: Employers must submit their list of payroll-deducted fees in an Excel or a Text (Tab Delimited) File through the secure Employers’ Area of the TRB website. Please refer to the step-by-step guide for uploading payroll-deducted lists. Q: What file formats are acceptable?
A: The acceptable formats are Excel and Text (Tab Delimited) files. These will allow the TRB to sort and compare the listed certificate holders with the database. For example, a PDF file does not facilitate sorting and comparison and is not an acceptable format. If you need information about how to create a Text (Tab Delimited) file, please see “Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File” on page 30. Q: Does an employer need to password protect the file?
A: The Employers’ Area is a secure area of the TRB website. It was designed for the exchange of information between the TRB and employers of certificate holders. It is not necessary to password protect your file.
Employers’ Area
Ministry of Education
Teacher Regulation Branch
Remittance Form – Annual Fees
Employer: ________________________________ Address: ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ Contact Person: ________________________________ Contact Telephone Number: ________________________________ Contact Email Address: ________________________________ Amount Remitted: $ ________________________________ Number of certificate holders included: ________________________________ Cheque Number or Date of Direct Deposit: ________________________________ Date file is uploaded: ________________________________ Name of file uploaded to Employers’ Area: ________________________________
Employers’ Area
6. Your Employees (Employee Lists) The “Your Employees” area allows you to upload or confirm the status of the certificate holders that you employed in a given year. The Employers List is a legislated requirement pursuant to section 80 of the Teachers Act.
Identifying the Legislation
Excerpt from the Teachers Act Employers list 80 (1) In this section:
"aboriginal educator" means any of the following:
(a) a first nation, as defined in section 1 [definitions and interpretation] of the School Act, that is operating an educational institution;
(b) a Community Education Authority, established by one or more
participating First Nations under the First Nations Jurisdiction over Education in British Columbia Act (Canada), that is operating an educational institution;
(c) a treaty first nation that is operating a school under its own laws;
"employer" means a board of education or an independent school authority that employs a certificate holder in his or her capacity as a certificate holder; "participating First Nation" has the same meaning as in the First Nations Jurisdiction over Education in British Columbia Act (Canada);
"prospective employer" means either of the following that is considering becoming an employer of a certificate holder:
(a) a board of education; (b) an independent school authority. (2) On or before October 15 of each year, an employer must submit to the director of
certification information that identifies the certificate holders employed by the employer during the previous 12-month period from July 1 in the previous year to June 30, including information that identifies any certificate holders employed by that employer, and the director of certification must maintain the information for at least 10 years.
(3) From the information submitted and maintained under subsection (2), the director of
certification must create and maintain a list that identifies the employers of every certificate holder, and a prospective employer or an aboriginal educator that is considering hiring a certificate holder may inspect that list.
(4) A prospective employer or an aboriginal educator that inspects a list under
subsection (3) must keep confidential the information obtained from the list.
Employers’ Area
Creating and Uploading Lists
Begin by creating a Text (Tab Delimited) file that lists the required data about each certificate holder. If you require more information about creating a Text (Tab Delimited) file, please see “Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File” on page 30. Any certificate holders employed for any period of time during the current reporting period must be on your employee list. The current reporting period will be displayed on the right of your screen. The employment year will automatically default to the year for which the TRB is collecting data.
Understanding the Tabs and Results
Stats Tab
The Stats tab displays the statistics of all your submitted employee lists for the chosen employment year. It displays the total employees, total valid employees, total invalid employees, and the total unknown individuals as of the date the file(s) was uploaded. View a specific list by selecting the corresponding tab.
Employers’ Area
Upload File Tab
Use this section to upload your list in a Text (Tab Delimited) format. . If you require more information about creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File, please see the “Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File” section below. Any lists that you upload will be displayed under “FileName” The date the list was uploaded will be displayed in the “Uploaded On” column, and the reporting year for which the list was submitted will be displayed in the “Emp Year” column. The status (accepted, rejected or processing) will display next to each file in the “Status” column. The date that the status was last edited will display in the “Edited On” column. If you did not employ any certificate holders during the employment period requested, simply click on the available confirm button for “No Certificate Holders Employed.”
Employers’ Area
Valid Tab
This section displays a list of the individual names of the employees on your list who, at the time the file was uploaded, held valid certificate status. The list can be ordered by surname, first name or certificate number by using the “Order By” drop-down menu. You may also browse surnames alphabetically by clicking the corresponding letter
Invalid Tab
This section displays a list of the individual names of the employees on your list who, at the time the file was uploaded, did not hold valid certificate. You can download an Excel spreadsheet file containing this information by clicking on the “Download” button. For more information on invalid individuals see “Employers Responsibilities/Actions” at the end of this User Manual.
Employers’ Area
Unknown Tab
This section displays a list of individuals that, at the time the file was uploaded, did not match any records in the TRB database. You can download an Excel spreadsheet file containing this information by clicking on the “Download” button. If you find that the information for an individual in the “Unknown” list is incorrect, you may upload a new list containing only the new information for that individual. Please note that the incorrect information that you originally uploaded will remain in the “Unknown” list.
For further explanation regarding the categories/status of individuals and information about employing these individuals, see “Employers Responsibilities/Actions” at the end of this User Manual.
Employers’ Area
7. Prospective Employees You may use this section to search for a prospective employee in the registry of the Teacher Regulation Branch of the Ministry of Education by entering his/her certificate number, last name, and/or first name. This area is only to be used to search the employment history of certificate holders that you intend to hire.
Accepting the Conditions of Use
You will be asked to accept conditions before being given further access in this area. The conditions include identifying yourself as a prospective employer, accessing a list that identifies only prospective employees, and agreeing to keep confidential any information obtained.
Searching Prospective Employees
Once you have agreed to the conditions, you may search a prospective employee by entering his/her certificate number, last name, and/or first name.
Employers’ Area
Understanding the Results
The information displayed will mirror the information provided in the Response File that is generated by the “Certificate Verification Tool” on page 3. If you wish to check the certificate status of one teacher, the most efficient tool is the “Prospective Employees” tool.
8. Technical Assistance The following area provides an explanation about how to create a Text (Tab Delimited) file and who to contact if you need assistance in any section of the Employers’ Area.
Creating a Text (Tab Delimited) File
A Text (Tab Delimited) file is a text format document that uses tab characters as separators between fields [or columns of information in a table]. These data fields do not have a set field size. To create a list as a tab-delimited format, open a new file in a spreadsheet application. Format the page so that the first column (Column A) contains the surname, the second column (Column B) contains the certificate number, and the third column (Column C) contains the date of birth. Each piece of information must be in its own cell. If the certificate number is unknown, please leave the column blank. Please be aware that if you are unable to provide the certificate number for two or more certificate holders with the same date of birth and the same surname, the TRB may need to follow up with you. Results for those certificate holders are not possible without determining their unique certificate numbers to confirm their status.
Employers’ Area
Once you complete your list, save the spreadsheet in a Text (Tab Delimited) format. To do this, click “File -> Save As” and give the list a File name. Under “Save as type” choose “Text (Tab Delimited).” Click the Save button.
Contacting Us
If you have difficulties uploading or downloading files or you have any questions related to the Employers’ Area, please contact us at the Teacher Regulation Branch.
Employers’ Area
9. Important Information Employers Responsibilities/Actions It is up to a potential employer to investigate any discrepancies in the employment history of an applicant. The Employers List is one way to verify that an individual’s employment history is as he/she has reported. It is also the responsibility of the employer to ensure that candidates for employment and currently employed individuals in positions that require a BC teaching certificate hold valid certification with the Ministry of Education. The following information will assist you in determining the course of action required to meet the requirements in legislation:
School Act Employee qualifications 19 (1) Subject to subsection (2), a board must not employ a person as a teacher, principal, vice principal, director of instruction, superintendent of schools or assistant superintendent of schools unless that person (a) holds a certificate of qualification as a teacher, or (b) holds a letter of permission to teach issued under the Teachers Act. Independent School Act Additional requirements for certificates for group 1 classification 3 (1) In addition to the requirements under sections 1 and 2, the inspector must be satisfied that an independent school for which an authority is to be issued a certificate of group 1 classification meets the following requirements:
(d) all of the teachers of the independent school are certified teachers. Additional requirements for certificates for group 2 classification 4 The inspector must be satisfied that an independent school for which an authority is to be issued a certificate of group 2 classification meets all the requirements applicable for a certificate of group 1 classification other than the requirement under section 3 (1) (a) or under section 3.1 if adjusted under that section. Additional requirements for certificates for group 4 classification 6 (1) In addition to the requirements in section 1, the inspector must be satisfied that an independent school for which an authority is to be issued a certificate of group 4 classification meets the following requirements:
(d) all of the teachers of the independent school are certified teachers;
Employers’ Area
Invalid Status
An individual who has an invalid status cannot be employed or accept employment in a position that requires a BC teaching certificate. The following chart shows some of the different categories of individuals with invalid status.
Status Description Applicant The individual has applied for certification with the Ministry of Education
and does not currently hold a valid Ministry of Education certificate. Can-Disc The individual's certificate has been cancelled due to discipline reasons. Can-Fees The individual's certificate has been cancelled due to non-payment of annual
certificate fees. Deceased The individual has passed away. Expired The individual's interim certificate has expired and they are no longer a
Certificate Holder of the Ministry of Education. NP-Cond The individual has agreed not to practise until certain conditions have been
met. Please note that “Applicant” indicates that a file exists with the Teacher Regulation Branch of the Ministry of Education, but the person has never held a certificate. There are a few possibilities: • He/she applied for certification but did not complete the process. • He/she applied for certification but was denied for not meeting the standards for fitness and/or
academic or professional qualifications as required under the Teachers Act. • He/she was recommended for certification by a BC university but did not apply for certification. • He/she held or holds a Letter of Permission (the name appears here whether or not the Letter
of Permission is for the current school year).
If the person has completed a teacher education program but has never applied to the Teacher Regulation Branch of the Ministry of Education, you should require him/her to do so immediately if you intend to employ him/her as a teacher. If you wish to employ an individual with an invalid status as a teacher, principal, vice principal, director of instruction, assistant superintendent or superintendent of schools, he/she must first obtain a valid certificate. Alternatively, if you need to employ an uncertified individual because a certified teacher cannot be found, you may apply for a Letter of Permission.
Employers’ Area
Unknown
The information provided for an individual who is indicated as unknown does not match anyone in the Teacher Regulation Branch of the Ministry of Education database. This could be for a number of reasons: • The surname, certificate number, and/or date of birth may not be correct in the list you
provided. If this is the case you may upload the individual’s corrected information (including his/her certificate number) as part of a new list.
• The person may not be a certificate holder. Check for a certificate in his/her personnel file. The
certificate will provide you with the certificate number. You may upload the individual’s corrected information (including his/her certificate number) as part of a new list. If no certificate exists in the file, you must ask the employee to produce it. If they do not, you cannot employ or continue to employ the individual.
Download Button
The Download button that shows within the Invalid Tab and Unknown Tab allows you to download an Excel spreadsheet file containing the information being displayed under that tab.
