The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) is launching a new advisory committee to focus on proficiency issues for individual industry members.

IIROC on Thursday announced plans for a new advisory committee that will provide the regulator with input on proficiency policy and operations issues, including licensing standards and continuing education requirements. The new committee will also help the regulator develop competency standards, and will be involved with reviewing course material and proposals, including content and instructional design issues.

“Proficiency is a strategic priority for IIROC. High proficiency standards play a key role in investor protection and the integrity and efficiency of capital markets,” it says in a notice. And, in the wake of a regulatory review, IIROC is creating a program to oversee the quality of the courses that it requires for licensing. It is also developing standards to govern these courses.

The self-regulatory organization is looking for up to 15 people to serve on the committee, including people that don’t work for dealers. Committee members may not work for organizations that provide IIROC proficiency courses, such as the Canadian Securities Institute.

Applications for an initial two-year term on the committee are due by Feb. 2, 2017.