The Architects Registration Council (ARC) has announced an on-going exercise to register Building Design Technicians, Technologists and Draughtsmen towards licensure.
According to the Council, Building Design Technicians, Technologists or Draughtsmen operating without a license are to contact the ARC secretariat to be registered on a provisional register before going through a training workshop and licensing examination to acquire a national license to operate.
The Registrar of the Architects Registration Council, Arc. Stella N.D. Arthiabah announced this in an interview during a one-week training workshop towards the 2019 Technicians Licensing Examinations held at the ARC head office at Ridge, Accra.
Subjects undertaken included: Statutory laws governing the built environment; the Building Code; Representation Techniques, Drafting Detailing and Specification Notes; File Management; Office Management Procedure; Basic Reporting; Basic Estimation and Tendering Process; Basic Accounting and Financial Management; Code of conduct/Role of the Building Design Technician; Site and Safety Management and Basic Surveying & Survey Application.
Arc. Arthiabah recounted the formation of the National Board of Control for Building Design Technicians & Draughtsmen as government’s response to the call by key industry players and the general public, such as the Association of Building Technicians (ABT) and the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) to develop professionalism in the building and construction industry by extending an arm of regulation over the technicians in the industry.
“With the directive of the Ministry of Works and Housing, the Board has been set up with the aim of ensuring professionalism in the delivery of technical services within the built environment professions, and creation of a safe and sustainable built environment for all,” she said.
She said “We have already organised a road show across the country to sensitise the technicians and draughtsmen on the on-going exercise to register and categorise them towards licensure. This workshop in particular is the maiden training workshop to prepare them for the 2019 examination which we believe will equip them adequately to pass.”
“A similar training workshop will be held in Kumasi, all in a bid to clear from the system all the people who were practising as draughtsmen before the establishment of the Board of Control,” she said, and cautioned all draughtsmen operating in the country to come voluntarily to be registered.
A Senior Assistant Registrar of the ARC, Arc. Jeannette Attipoe declared the maiden workshop as a success for having recorded a huge number of participants from the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong, Eastern and other regions.
She particularly praised the response from the participants, their readiness to upgrade themselves and to have license to operate legally as well as get access to opportunities out there in the profession.
By Times Reporter
