Where are BAO-approved Continuing Education courses found?
View the current continuing education courses available at the Bereavement Education Committee website here.
Please note:
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the Bereavement Education Committee (BEC) will be disbanded, and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) will approve all continuing education courses for Ontario bereavement licensees. We will post our new continuing education policy on this webpage in the new year. Inquiries about continuing education for 2023 can be sent to Education@TheBAO.ca.
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As stipulated in the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 the Bereavement Authority of Ontario is responsible for regulation of four personal licence classes:
- Funeral Director – Class 1 (embalming)
- Funeral Director – Class 2 (non-embalming)
- Transfer Service Sales Representative
- Funeral Preplanner
Each licence class has a varied scope of practice. All educational standards are set by the Registrar and the Funeral Sector Professional Competency Profiles – Second Edition provides the foundation for all funeral service education initiatives. Developed by funeral professionals for funeral professionals, competencies as they apply to each personal licence class are defined within five key areas of focus:
- Communication and Responsiveness
- Care of the Deceased
- Disposition, Funeral Services and Visitation
- Business Practices
- Professionalism
Competency based education programs are designed to build learning outcomes that may be applied to another personal licence class should the individual choose to pursue further training in the funeral sector.
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Competencies, as identified in the Funeral Sector Professional Competency Profiles – Second Edition, provide the foundation for all education initiatives.
As stipulated in the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 and Ontario Regulation 30/11, the Registrar for the Bereavement Authority of Ontario is responsible for identifying the funeral service education requirements for four specified personal licence classes including:
- Funeral Director – Class 1 (embalming)
- Funeral Director – Class 2 (non-embalming)
- Transfer Service Sales Representative
- Funeral Preplanner
For individuals wishing to pursue a career in funeral service, the Funeral Service Education program is designed to support continued development. Education requirements for each licence class build on the previous class beginning with Funeral Preplanner and ending with Funeral Director – Class 1. Selecting a program of study depends upon your level of interest and the amount of time that you are willing to invest.
Individuals may decide to pursue career opportunities at any of the four specified levels or enhance existing skill sets with the completion of additional funeral service education requirements over a period of time.
Industry Program Standards for Funeral Service Education
Approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the Funeral Service Education Program Standards serve to inform curriculum development for each personal licence class at approved educational institutions in Ontario.
Designed to include vocational learning outcomes, essential employability skills, general education requirements, and process standards, through combining theoretical course work with practical internship experience, graduates of the program acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities that support continued career development.
Click here to download the Industry Program Standards for Funeral Service Education.
Currently, there are two approved educational institutions in Ontario that provide Funeral Service Education:
- Humber College: http://www.humber.ca
- Collège Boréal: http://www.collegeboreal.ca
Expected timelines for credential obtainment
Personal Licence Class Credential Course Work Normal Internship Term Estimated Timeline for Program Completion Personal Licence Class
Funeral Director – Class 1 (embalming)
Credential
Ontario College Diploma
Course Work
5 semesters
Normal Internship Term
1 year
Estimated Timeline for Program Completion
2 years
Personal Licence Class
Funeral Director – Class 2 (non embalming)
Credential
Ontario College Diploma
Course Work
4 semesters
Normal Internship Term
6 months
Estimated Timeline for Program Completion
1.5 years
Personal Licence Class
Transfer Service Sales Representative
Credential
Ontario College Certificate
Course Work
2 semesters
Normal Internship Term
3 months
Estimated Timeline for Program Completion
6 months
Personal Licence Class
Funeral Preplanner
Credential
Certificate of Achievement
Course Work
online
Normal Internship Term
N/A
Estimated Timeline for Program Completion
N/A
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The Preceptor Training Program previously offered by the Board of Funeral Services (BOFS) is no longer mandatory
Effective April 1, 2016, Humber College and Collège Boréal will assume the responsibility for delivering the internship program, including the tracking of completed competencies and oversight of preceptors, for all new interns.
Effective April 1, 2016, a funeral director with the following qualifications is permitted to act as a preceptor:
- licensed in good standing in the province of Ontario
- who has been licensed for a minimum of 3 years
- who agrees to fulfill the requirements of “preceptor” as defined by the college and the Registrar
Stay tuned for more information about optional training programs that will be offered by Humber College and Collège Boréal.
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Continuing Education Credit courses approved by the BAO are posted here:
Since 1938, funeral professionals in Ontario have committed to lifelong learning through participating in mandatory professional development programming on a regular basis.
The BAO believes that continuing education is a priority and an important component of any profession.
Each year funeral licensees are required to complete a minimum of six (6) hours of continuing education. This means that funeral licensees must have completed six hours of continuing education to be eligible for licence renewal each year. Without the six hours you can’t get your licence renewed.
To qualify for continuing education credit, the course must be:
- Delivered through the provincial associations (OFSA and OACFP), Humber College or Collège Boréal, and
- Approved by the Bereavement Education Committee
Approved continuing education opportunities will be advertised on the Bereavement Education Committee website.
No courses, seminars, conferences or events originating from outside of the province or from other associations will qualify for credit unless they have received prior approval of the Bereavement Education Committee (BEC). Individual licensees should inquire with the BEC prior to registering for these programs if they intend to use them for con-ed credit. Programs that qualified in the past as professional development do not automatically qualify in the future.
Qualifying courses will be identified as either Category A or Category B content.
A maximum of two (2) hours from Category B courses will qualify for continuing education credit. The other four (4) hours must be from Category A. Or, all six (6) hours may be completed from Category A only.
Category A – Technical / Professional Skills:
- Embalming
- Restorative Art
- Business management (marketing, personnel management, accounting, computer applications)
- Ethical Issues
- Legal Interpretations
- Regulatory Issues
- Communications Skills
- Sales techniques
Category B – Self Care:
- Counseling
- Grief Psychology
- Family Care
- Stress Management
- Motivational presentations
As in the past, funeral licensees are required to self-report the details of their continuing education on their licensing renewal forms on an annual basis and must retain evidence of course completion to substantiate their credit.
*Bereavement Education Committee: The associations, OACFP and OFSA, in consultation with Collège Boréal and Humber College have created a committee to receive and assess applications and give accreditation to third-party providers. Offerings will only be eligible for con-ed credit if the provider and content has been approved and accredited by the BEC.
For questions or to apply, contact the BEC: apply@bereavementeducation.org
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Professional development is important as it ensures that knowledge and skills stay relevant and current and fosters consumer confidence in the sector. This is even more vital today as licensees continue as “licensed” if they renew their license and meet the CE requirements, regardless of the activity or employer. The BAO looked at the CE requirements of jurisdictions across Canada and the US and saw that Ontario’s bereavement sector was at the low end of CE hours. Many if not most jurisdictions require 12 to 24 hours of CE for their funeral licensees within a two-year period.
Other Professions Require Significantly More Hours
Career Continuing Education Hours Required Annually Career
Life Insurance Brokers
Continuing Education Hours Required Annually
15
Career
Chartered Professional Accountants
Continuing Education Hours Required Annually
40
Career
Real Estate Agents
Continuing Education Hours Required Annually
12
Career
Paralegals
Continuing Education Hours Required Annually
12
Career
Dental Hygienists / Naturopaths
Continuing Education Hours Required Annually
Dental Hygienists / Naturopaths
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Feel free to complete more than the required # of continuing education hours – you are only required to report 6 hours to the BAO (when you renew your license).
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Yes. As an option you may complete up to 2 hours of self-care education (category B) but this is not mandatory. If you wish, you can complete all 6 hours of continuing education on topics relating to technical/professional skills (category A).
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The BAO has never been in the business of delivering education and believes that the associations are best positioned to determine the CE needs of their members. In addition, the quality of content must be assured. OFSA and OACFP share a dedication to professional development and education for their respective members, many of whom are subject matter experts. The colleges obviously have expertise in education delivery.
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The Bereavement Education Committee (BEC) is a joint committee of OFSA and OACFP that, in consultation with Humber College and College Boreal, meets to receive applications from third-party education providers, and approve their content for the purposes of meeting the CE requirements set by the BAO.
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The Registrar maintains statutory authority under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act 2002 over all education requirements; but in relation to professional development, the registrar has delegated the approval of courses to the BEC.
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You will report your professional development hours when you are renewing your personal licence through the licensee portal in November/December. You must maintain proof of attendance.
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Membership is not required to access courses from the associations. That said, licensees may find excellent value in becoming a member to take advantage of discounts and other services.
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Only if the courses received prior approval from the BEC.
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Conferences that were eligible in the past do not automatically qualify as eligible for CE unless approved by the BEC.
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Maintaining one’s status as a licensed professional requires an ongoing investment of time and money. There is a cost to delivering webinars and such, and the associations and colleges can charge a fee to offset these costs. Occasionally, as in the past, free CE opportunities may be available from time to time.
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Yes.
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Contact the BEC at: apply@bereavementeducation.org
View the current continuing education courses available at the Bereavement Education Committee website here.
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If you believe that there are subjects that should be offered that currently are not, you may suggest these opportunities to the BEC for consideration or advise the provider to contact the BEC. Contact the BEC: apply@bereavementeducation.org
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- Please ensure that you are logged in to the Licensee Portal with the email address associated to your licence number.
- If you receive an error message you may need to clear the cache on your browser. In order to do this, please follow the following steps:
- Please log out of your Licensee Portal and return to www.thebao.ca,
- In the upper right corner, you will see an accessibility icon (wheelchair). Please click this icon and choose “Clear Cookies”,
- Close your browser completely and reopen it,
- Head to www.thebao.ca and click on “Licensee Portal Login” found directly left to the “Home” button in our main banner,
- Please log in with the email address associated to your licence number.
- You must fill in 4 of the 5 input values in the step for Continuing Education
- Split the course/seminar values or,
- Input the same course multiple times in these fields.
- If you continue to experience an error while inputting your Continuing Education please ensure that the values you use for “Duration of Course” are numeric only, do not use the word “hours” or “hrs” in that field.
- If your manager has issued a credit for payment of your licence renewal, please select “Individual Renewal Credit” from the drop-down menu (final step).