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Teacher Mobility Agreement

The Teacher Mobility Agreement (TMA), which came into effect on April 1, 2008, allows teachers in Alberta and BC to pursue teaching opportunities and to work freely in either province without having to take additional training or write more examinations to obtain certification. The agreement stems from the 2006 Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Memorandum of Agreement, which is intended to remove barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility between the two provinces. 

The TMA reconciles differences in teaching standards between the two provinces and ensures that an Alberta Teaching Certificate will be recognized in BC. Alberta teachers with one subject specialty will no longer be required to develop a second specialty to retain certification in BC However, Alberta teachers not employed in the profession for more than 10 years will need to meet “currency qualifications” prior to re-entering the classroom. Details have yet to be finalized.

Each year, about 300 teachers from Alberta and BC migrate across the provincial border to teach. The TMA will ensure that a teacher’s certification is recognized and accepted without delay, as the receiving province will be assured by the sending province that documents confirming a teacher’s qualifications have been evaluated beforehand.

The actual agreement was negotiated by officials of Alberta Education and the BC College of Teachers, the organizations responsible for teacher certification. The Alberta Teachers’ Association was advised during the discussions leading up to the agreement.

Download a copy of the TMA or visit the Trade, Mobility and Labour Agreement website.