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September 23, 2019             INDEPENDENT ROOFING CONTRACTORS OF CALIFORNIA, INC.                WWW.IRCC.ORG
Framing Up The Game Plan for IRCC/CRU First Wave of Pro-Certified Installers
 
NRCA' s Pro-Certification Field Assessor Provides Review on Specific Nomenclature in Distillation Of Linkage Between IRCC/CRU's Upcoming sponsorship of  "Qualified Trainer Conference";  Collaborative Pro-Cert Preparation Classes; and, January 10, 2020 On-Site, Timed,  Mock-up Asphalt and Thermoplastic Certified Installer Exams in Hayward,CA

Jon Goodman:  the NRCA's lead field assessor subject matter expert addressed contractor and associate members of the IRCC on Wednesday September 18, 2019 at the Lafayette Park Hotel.   At the request of John Upshaw,   Jon was asked to help to focus on the NRCA's ambitious nationwide "skill and knowledge" validation program for experienced roof system installers,   and to break down the inner-connected-ness of the IRCC' sponsored NRCA 'Trainer Developer" events:
  • The Qualified Trainer Conference on November 6 & 7th; 
  • The IRCC/CRU's in-house ProCert -Prep/Refresh courses (in collaboration with IRCC Associate members) 
  • The Scheduled IRCC sponsored ProCertification testing 
First-off, Goodman wanted to dispel any misconceptions related to the Qualified Trainer Conference and it's relationship to The ProCertification Test.
"The qualified trainer conference is not designed to teach your trainer how to train in a particular roofing discipline or course related to the Pro-Certification test," emphasized Goodman.  "It's designed to get your  roofing instructors familiarized with how to develop and present any topic in an effective way."   He described  the two-day session,  of which he is an instructor, as presentation development :   and he reached into the audience and grabbed the IRCC's newest Board Member,  Raymundo Jimenez   of D.C. Taylor Company, to  demonstrate the principle he was describing by teaching Raymundo how to open a three-hole binder. 
Goodman broke it down into the elements of show, demonstrate and then get the trainee to perform the task demonstrated,  and explain any related information that the instructor had provided to accompany the demonstration.  In other words,  explained Goodman,  the techniques trained in the conference has been designed to help existing and prospective trainers best approach any roofing subject which needs to be taught in a way that produced the best results in terms of demonstrated understanding, competence and applicability for the persons being taught.

How it Will Be Utilized by the IRCC & Associates

Highlighting the IRCC/CRU's intent on this issue,  John Upshaw took the opportunity to reinforce Jon's comment and explain that the Qualified Trainer event is being sponsored through the association to develop the skills of it's existing apprenticeship instructor cadre,  and to develop new trainers that can bring these skills to the table when interacting and developing "collaborative training" exercises and venues tied to the array of "specialty' installation disciplines being integrated into the CRU's state registered continuing education program for journeymen.   And for the short term and long term the IRCC wants to have qualified instructor trained individuals gradually be qualified to localize NRCA classes from the ProForman curricula by having California based trainers providing those in-person trainings which have typically required the high overhead and scheduling restraints involved in bringing NRCA training staff across country, similar to that as what is now being done with the Torch-Applied Certification CERTA course,  wherein the NRCA trains the approved trainer (such as IRCC's Vince Corbett),   to deliver locally under the banner of the CRU.   A certification fee is paid for each person training by the IRCC.   


What is ProCertification ? Well,  It's Not A Certificate Of Training Completion or 'Participation Award'

Goodman was particularly interested in emphasizing that a ProCertification certificate is not related to specific training a person has had in terms of state apprenticeship or other local programs.   He explained that the two-part evaluation consisted of an online test (Spanish & English & Visual options) which is aimed at measuring an experienced installer (in whatever roofing discipline being tested) and that should be possessed by an installer who has had 2 - 3 years of current or recent and consistent experience with the discipline being assessed.   The Field test -- is a timed process which evaluates competency and efficient "best practices"  for the product being installed -- (See Installation Readiness Guide: NRCA Thermoplastic and Shingle Installer readiness documents)

CRU- Collaborative Prep Courses:   Jon Goodman, has been on board for each of the two prep-refresher courses aimed at experienced installers as alluded to above.   On each call,  with each CRU collaborating training partners (CertainTeed for the Asphalt Shingle installer cert) and key field trainers for TREMCO,  the teams dug into the most likely areas of concern to experienced installers:  Uniformity of job safety and protective equipment and clothing regional variations in terminology for similar installation and equipment termswhat can the installers expect from the online-proctored testing environment;   how to prepare for the pressure of a timed and observed mock-up interface.  

And by the December class dates,   we will be consolidating information from Goodman,  and other assessors who are part of the national roll-out -  of what the most common failure points there have been so far.  "In other words," said John Upshaw,  " we are hoping to learn by other's mistakes, of what to avoid."  


Goodman made it clear that the NRCA was building cert-course preparation guidelines,  and there was a new "track" training program linked to all the disciplines that will be releasing the remainder of the 18 installer certs over the next two-to three years:  The list below provides a glimpse of the technical areas the IRCC-CRU will be focusing on collaboratively with the Associate members in integrating existing associate training and new tracks from the NRCA. 
 
The Heavy Lift Up
Pushing For California
Industry Alliance For
Education In Roofing


Bringing the Associate members into the conversation, IRCC Executive Director John Upshaw attempted to bring homer the point in his introduction that the current roofing industry is in growing pain mode, particularly in California.

"Those of you who make roofing materials and define the best practices for the installation of your products, are struggling to make sure those practices are carried out by truly "skilled and trained" industry recognized and validated installers.

"And here in California,"  continued Upshaw.  "those concerns have been side-lined by the over-regulated, anti-business political operatives who are more focused on manipulation of the workforce through restrictive legislation.   And the idea (and "ideal") of training itself and codified to exclude recognition of the majority of the industry (87%) who are not conscripted into the organized labor driven "ordained" training organizations sanctioned under the politically loaded,  Governor appointed (with two exceptions) members of the California Apprenticeship Council (aka the "CAC").  

And for material suppliers,   this becomes a frustrating balancing act,  with many of their best,  most well trained and industry recognized performing contractors,  being excluded from bidding process,  on  the increasing numbers "skilled and trained" designated projects. This prized definition is tied only to contractors and their workers who have participated in the " minimum industry training standards" required under the state "ordained" apprenticeship programs,  which do not recognize, for instance, the additional Industry Recognized certifications such as the NRCA's ProCertification Program as even "equal to or better" as a measurement for determining "skilled and trained" --   

Upshaw,  who attended the NRCA's mid-year leadership meetings,  affiliate executive session in July said it is apparent the California and national roofing and waterproofing unions are afraid.   One of the California union reps (who I will not identify here) put it this put it this way:
"If truth be told,  I think it's leadership's concern,  that for the most part we don't think our apprenticeship program grads would be able to pass the performance exams."

This apprehension was reinforced by NRCA Chairman-Elect Rod Petrick,  (Also present at the same meeting) who offered that he concurred with the California rep,  whose impression was that there was  little confidence in the uniformity of all of regional Local affiliated training programs.
 
Jon Goodman made a strong pitch for the NRCA's "TRAC" Programs:  all of which the IRCC apprenticeship existing Modules will absorb into and update current classes.   And those associated with leadership and Foreman-ship are being integrated into the CRU Class and Hands on selections.   These include:

 
NOTE:   All NRCA leadership programs in this list will be added to 'creditable' hours for IRCC's CRU State Recognized Continuing education program.  There are 20 hours of required Leadership for the State completion Certification,  and 40-hours of technical installation programs.   The estimated 7-hours each related to the Prep/Refresh Courses related to the January ProCertification installer exams.   Notices on these two classes (Asphalt Shingle Installer and Thermoplastic Installation) will be published in October.  


For Further Questions:  Please contact John Upshaw at 209-253-4004.


 
Also in attendance at the meeting were Jon Goodman, Jared Ribble and John Schehl.

Upshaw said that from the IRCC's point of view this timidity by the unions to buy into the NRCA's national installer approach:  based on a strict, empirical standard to validate what measurable skills an experienced installer possessed was a transparent admission that the labeling of a union operated apprenticeship program was the most valid baseline for "skilled and trained" -- is the best evidence there is, that "these programs are not providing the roofing industry any tangible evidence of competence related to the multiple and various new systems that are emerging in the industry."

Upshaw urged the manufacturer associates to assist the CRU/IRCC in developing collaborative, multi-discipline courses,  based on their specific product lines in overwhelming  the antiquated state system of exclusion -- in promotion of the NRCA certification effort,  and said the IRCC was focused in helping the NRCA reach it's 1,000 installer certifications in 2016.   He said, we are focusing on working with our registered contractor participants to get 45 ProCertification toward that in scheduled testing set for January -  in Northern California.  

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Don't forget (particularly contractors) to support the IRCC October 21, 2019 - IRCC/CRU Fund Raiser for the growing California Alliance for Education in Roofing,   as together we work towards overwhelming California's juggernaut of exclusionary regulations,  with broader recognition of Industry Recognized Performance Standards.  
Copyright © 2019 Independent Roofing Contractors of California, Inc., All rights reserved.


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