Access to Dental Technology Project II
- Project Status
- In Progress
- Partially Funded by
The amendment of $686,747 has been approved, and the project completion date for ADT II has been extended to March 1, 2027.
The CADTR has launched the ADT Phase II project with $611,732 in federal funding to address Canada’s dental technology workforce shortage. This initiative pilots a prior learning recognition pathway, enabling professionals to become registered dental technologists or technicians, fostering a skilled and inclusive workforce for evolving oral healthcare needs.
The Canadian Alliance of Dental Technology Regulators (CADTR), in collaboration with Dental Technology Regulators across Canada, proudly announces the launch of the Access to Dental Technology (ADT) Phase II project, a groundbreaking initiative addressing the critical shortage in Canada’s dental technology workforce. Announced on March 1, 2024, by the Honourable Shaun Chen, MP for Scarborough North, on behalf of the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, this initiative builds on the success of the federally funded ADT Phase I project, which established a national entry point, harmonized education pathways, and modernized competency assessments.
Supported by $611,732 in federal funding as part of an $86 million investment in foreign credential recognition, ADT Phase II will pilot a transformative prior learning recognition pathway, enabling 50 participants to demonstrate their skills and transition into fulfilling careers as registered dental technologists or technicians. By breaking educational barriers and promoting diversity, this initiative ensures a skilled, inclusive, and agile workforce to meet the evolving needs of Canadians, while advancing the future of oral healthcare nationwide.
Request for Proposals
Access to Dental Technology Project I
- Project Status
- Completed
- Partially Funded by
In December 2017, CADTR was awarded funding from Employment and Social Development Canada to undertake a series of initiatives under the multi-year pan-Canadian “Access to Dental Technology Project”.
The overriding purpose of the project is to address the critical shortage of licensed dental technology professionals in Canada by centralizing functions related to the assessment of applicants in an effort to better standardize outcomes.
This involved creating harmonized standards, processes, programs and tools to support transparent, fair and objective credential evaluation and competency-based assessments. Importantly, ease of access to these tools, programs and guidance documents will ensure that aspiring internationally educated dental technology professionals who wish to practice anywhere in Canada know about the profession prior to immigration and are better prepared to pursue registration.
Project Milestones
Education Benchmark
For the first time, an Education Benchmark has been completed which defines the minimum Canadian dental technology program requirements, curriculum, course content and content definitions based on current education programs.
Profession Specific Credential Evaluation (PSCE)
The PSCE is a consistent and fair way for CADTR to determine if applicants who have graduated from a dental health program or dental technology program not approved by CADTR have completed the equivalent of both (a) the entry-level education and (b) the practical experience defined by the Education Benchmark.
National Essential Competencies for Dental Technology Practice in Canada (NEC)
In April 2019 CADTR approved the NEC which is a comprehensive list of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that may be expected of a registered/licensed dental technology professional currently practicing in Canada at the start and throughout their career.
National Essential Entry-to-Practice Competencies (NEETPC)
NEETPC are competencies and performance indicators which describe the knowledge, skill, ability, and judgment that a fully licensed dental technologist/technician will require at the beginning of their careers. These competencies and indicators are a subset of the NEC, which were designed to encompass competencies across the career span. The entry-to-practice competencies and indicators were identified through a comprehensive process involving both focus groups and an online survey and comprised a nationally representative sample of practicing RDTs.
Dental Technology Entry-to-Practice Assessment (DTETPA)
For most dental technology regulators, successful completion of a competency-based assessment is a requirement for registration. Effective November 1, 2020 all new applicants will complete the DTETPA which is made up of two assessments: Knowledge-Based Assessment (KBA) and Performance-Based Assessment (PBA).
The KBA is computer-based, consists of 150-180 questions, will take no more than 4 hours to complete, can be accessed online and is virtually proctored. It will be offered twice each year.
The PBA is comprised of 8-12 stations that simulate professional practice. Candidates will perform technical skills and apply critical thinking non-technical skills. It will take no more than 4 hours to complete and will be held once each year in at least two provinces across Canada.
Applicant Engagement Strategy
The Access to Dental Technology Steering Committee introduced a web-based Applicant Engagement Strategy in April 2019. The strategy was designed to provide outreach to potential applicants and interested persons across Canada. With this strategy, there were a variety of engagement tools used, including a video, webinar and online survey, subscriber form and educator discussion guide.
The results from the strategy were promising:
- Yielded 1,741 unique website visits and 4,113 page views
- Resulted in the gain of 126 subscribers
- Approx. 80% of webinar online survey respondents viewed the project as very important to the profession, public and to them personally
- Approx. 70% of webinar online survey respondents indicated that the webinar was informative, interesting, easy to understand and was the right length