Prospective patent agents and trademark agents now have a new tool to assist in completion of their apprenticeships.

Patent agent trainees and trademark agent trainees are currently required to complete a 24-month apprenticeship with an agent supervisor and complete qualifying examinations to become a licensed agent. A consultation process last year identified the inability to secure this apprenticeship as the greatest barrier to licensure.

In response to this feedback, the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents (CPATA) has added new features to the Public Register of patent agents and trademark agents to assist in connecting trainees to supervisors. Trainees can now indicate on their Public Register profile that they are looking for a training supervisor, and agents can now indicate on their profile that they are open to supervising a trainee. Moreover, the Public Register can now be searched by agents open to supervising and by trainees looking for a supervisor. Full instructions for using the new features may be found here.

These new features should make it easier for trainees and supervisors to identify and contact each other.