Maryland’s
Electronic Licensing Initiative Enters Its Third Year
By Harry Loleas, Associate Commissioner of Occupational and
Professional Licensing
On February 1, 1998
the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation turned on phase
one of its electronic licensing system and enabled licensed real estate
professionals to renew their licenses over the Internet. Over the next 26
months, seventeen additional business occupations and professions were
added to the system. An individual or a firm could apply for an initial
license or reciprocal license, renew a license, make certain interim
changes or apply for a certification/verification of licensure. Many
applications and payments, such as license renewals involved completed
transactions leading to the immediate mailing of a license. Other
applications involved the filing of initial documentation and payment over
the internet, with the transaction then placed in pending status awaiting
the receipt of a third party document such as a transcript or
verification. Over 130 separate Internet applications were developed for
the 18 covered professions.
Since the project
went on-line and began to receive attention, two questions have been posed
most frequently about electronic licensing. First and foremost was how did
you to secure the nearly two million dollars required to create a
comprehensive system. Of equal concern to officials around the country is
whether or not people use it.
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International
Distance Education Standard Set
By Craig
Cheatham, Executive Vice President of the Association of Real Estate
License Law Officials (ARELLO)
We are all familiar with the changing face of education and pride
ourselves in staying fluid enough to serve our communities
and to make education accessible. In your state, province or territory,
education has been delivered for both pre-license
and continuing education purposes and your agency has been able to approve
education experiences that were conducted with
accountability and integrity. The citizens in your area have benefited
from more knowledgeable industries and for this education providers can enjoy a good deal of the credit.
Over the last few years it has become quite evident that technology is
having, and will continue to have, a significant
impact on education. Its impact on education delivery has been of
particular concern as regulatory bodies have been
approached by more and more program providers to approve seminars and
courses offered in a variety of formats, everything
from audio-only to on-line programs. Our licensees are applying much of
the pressure, as their busy lives and flexible
schedules have them demanding educational opportunities that are available
at times and through methods more convenient to
them.
It has been often said that necessity is the mother of invention. If you
have
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