David Free of Meaford is a former Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer to several Ontario municipalities. He is also a longtime member of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineers, or OACETT, and has been for more than three decades; he even served as its Regional Director in the Kitchener/Thunder Bay area for four years.

As David Free of Meaford knows, OACETT is a non-profit, self-governing professional association for engineering and applied science technicians in Ontario. The organization currently boasts more than 24,000 members.

OACETT, says David Free of Meaford, is an independent certifying body for engineering and applied science technicians and technologists. OACETT confers the designations C.Tech. (Certified Technician) and C.E.T. (Certified Engineering Technologist) to qualified applicants; these designations are recognized across Canada by employers and other engineering professionals.

David Free of Meaford is pleased to announce that OACETT and The Chang School have partnered to offer career-advancing workshops for engineering technology professionals. The workshops were developed by OACETT and Ryerson University's Chang School, and were created based on extensive industry research into specific professional development needs.

Among the topics covered, says David Free of Meaford, are Finance and Accounting Foundations for the Technical Sector, and Contract Management and Procurement for the Technical Sector. The workshops are being led by experts in the field, who are either technical managers or executives. Each brings in-depth, non-technical expertise to the workshops. David Free of Meaford says this is a great way for members to broaden their skill set, and take their careers to the next level.

David Free of Meaford says that membership in OACETT is a valuable asset. The most important benefit to members is the mark of professionalism that is acquired when certification is earned from OACETT. Equally important is the right to use the exclusive, protected titles of Certified Technician or Certified Engineering Technologist. These designations are recognized by employers, governments, educational institutions and the general public in Ontario and all across Canada. Certification demonstrates that the holders have met a high standard of academic excellence, are experienced in their field, and have demonstrated an understanding of ethics and their responsibility to their employer and the public.