iFTI Updates

The latest from the International Finishing Trades Institute.
Having problems on LMS? Click HERE to let us know so we can promptly get them fixed.  

The 2022 COE Annual Meeting will be held IN-PERSON November 8-10, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

The Annual Meeting will offer the workshops required for initial or reaffirmation of accreditation (Self-Study workshops and Annual Report workshops), as well as other topics of interest to COE institutions.



COE’s 50th Anniversary will be celebrated since they were unable to meet in person in 2021. There will be a special 50th Anniversary Reception on Tuesday evening, November 8.

Several members of the iFTI team will be attending the annual meeting in the Sunshine State.


IUPAT Finishing Industries Forum - January 23-25, 2023
Las Vegas



Business Network for Offshore Wind 
The International Partnering Forum (IPF) – Mar 28-30, 2023 in Baltimore, MD 

 

Susan Harwood Grant - Temperature Extremes

As part of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, the International Finishing Trades Institute is one of many targeted topic training grant recipients of $160,000 for the fiscal year 2022. Awarded in September, the IUPAT/iFTI  proposes to provide 4 hours of temperature extreme training and materials to 5,000 employers and workers in the construction industry. The targeted audience includes high-hazard, high fatality, and at-risk workers and will be available to all IUPAT.


 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared July 2021 the world’s hottest month in 142 years of records, ranking among the 10 hottest years on record (NOAA, 8-13-21).  NOAA also showed that 2020 was the second hottest year on record contributing to “hotter” trends and increased risk for IUPAT workers to suffer from heat stress and heat related illness (stroke or death) on jobs both indoors and outdoors from high risk factors such as high air temperatures, radiant heat sources, direct physical contact with hot objects, high humidity, or strenuous physical activities. This grant will fund the iFTI to garner necessary resources to ensure our current heat stress course is appropriately revised while providing essential training to over 5,000 of our most at-risk members, affiliates and contractors and laying a foundation of awareness, training and continued health for our members.

This material was produced under grant number SH-39126-SH2 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
 
Training materials developed with grant funds will be posted HERE.

New Instructor Development Specialist

We are pleased to welcome the newest member to our iFTI team, Lisa Berlin. Lisa is hired as an Instructor Development Specialist who will hold multiple responsibilities related to the development of our instructors, including the effective deployment and maintenance of the COE accreditation process, managing all facets of the iFTI’s Associates and Bachelors degree programs, overseeing relevant learning programs and certification opportunities for our members and affiliates in health and safety (OSHA, ANSI, EPA, etc.) and any trade-specific specialty areas (specialty flooring, decorative paint, tool operations, glass and glazier technicians, etc.), and much more.  Lisa is an experienced educator and training specialist in secondary education and private industry with over 18 years of experience in teaching, advising, developing, and supporting curriculum and instruction in and out of the classroom.

Flooring Summit/Curriculum

iFTI and LMCI Executive Director Anton Ruesing and iFTI Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Tom Pfundstein presented at the inaugural LMCI Flooring Industry Summit held on October 2-4, 2022 in Carlsbad, CA.

They showed attendees the enhancements in the Floor Covering curriculum over the years, updates in training, and upcoming Floor Covering events/activities. The presentation was well received at the Floor Summit by the contractors. The iFTI will continue to improve Floor Covering courses and continually working to get more contractor involvement in curriculum development.

NWFA

The iFTI is continuing a valuable partnership with the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) with access to wood flooring industry courses available through hands-on training, online learning as well as through monthly webinars on the latest products and tools presented by industry manufacturers. NWFA is an industry leader providing hands-on and online learning for wood flooring professionals interested in expanding their industry and skills knowledge through education & training programs that raise the bar and encourage our members to grow their knowledge and skillset to distinguish themselves in the industry. NWFA has worked to revise and create new online courses which can be found on the iFTI LMS.



There are currently 25 online courses available. Some of the recently released online courses on the iFTI LMS include:
FLR 4209 Abrasives (NWFA)
FLR 4217 Care and Maintenance (NWFA)
FLR 4212 Colorants (NWFA)
FLR 4214 Evaluating Wood Floor Damage (NWFA)
FLR 4211 Finishes (NWFA)
FLR 4215 Finishing Process (NWFA)
FLR 4213 Hand Scraping – Wire Brushing and Distressed Wood Floors (NWFA)
FLR 4216 Recoating a Previously Finished Wood Floor (NWFA)
FLR 4206 Sand and Finish Safety (NWFA)
FLR 4218 Sanding-Filler- Finish Irregularities (NWFA)
FLR 4207 Sanding Equipment Operation (NWFA)
FLR 4208 Sanding Equipment Maintenance (NWFA)
FLR 4210 Sanding Process (NWFA
 
The NWFA courses are set for open-enrollment or in a learning path. Any active member has access to the curriculum. If you do not have the courses in your Enrollments widget, you can go to the CATALOG link on the main menu bar, search NWFA, and self-enroll.



For more information about NWFA, check our LMS news articles or tickers:
 
NWFA Curriculum Relaunch
UNLOCKED: Vubiz and NWFA Courses
 

Rosetta Stone

The iFTI has partnered with Rosetta Stone to build fluency and confidence to speak new languages. Rosetta Stone is dedicated to changing people's lives through the power of language education. Rosetta Stone helps all types of learners read, write, and speak several languages through their immersive bite-sized curriculum and engaging mobile app.



The iFTI’s Rosetta Stone license agreement expires on November 29, 2022. Members have until that time to complete the language learning. We currently have licenses available for members who are interested in learning another language.

For more information about Rosetta Stone, please visit the LMS ticker and contact iFTI at ftiinternational@ifti.edu to get started today!

Updated and New Courses/Lessons/Course Materials as of Q3 2022

For the past months, the iFTI Curriculum department has uploaded new courses, updated eLearning lessons, and added new course materials in the iFTI Learning Management System (LMS). For your reference, view the alerts on the LMS homepage.
 
August Updates
September Updates
 
COR 1145 Lead and Asbestos Awareness* (1 hour) - Asbestos is a serious workplace health issue. In this course we look at what asbestos is and where it can be found, including different asbestos uses. We also examine the health concerns and how to evaluate exposure to asbestos. Finally, we review the legislation concerning asbestos and provide an overview of workplace asbestos control strategies. The Lead Safety Awareness online training course was designed for employers, managers, supervisors, and workers in construction and other industries where workers may be exposed to lead. This course explores working safely in lead-contaminated areas. This course will discuss how to work safely in lead-contaminated environments and recognize the ways in which workers are exposed to lead.

SPN 1145 Concientizacion Sobre el Plomo y el Asbesto* (1 hour)  - El asbesto es un grave problema de salud en el lugar de trabajo. En este curso, analizamos qué es el asbesto y dónde se puede encontrar, incluidos los diferentes usos del asbesto. También examinamos los problemas de salud y cómo evaluar la exposición al asbesto. Finalmente, revisamos la legislación relacionada con el asbesto y brindamos una descripción general de las estrategias de control del asbesto en el lugar de trabajo. El curso de capacitación en línea de Concientización sobre el asbesto fue diseñado para trabajadores de la construcción. En este curso, aprenderá sobre el asbesto y sus usos, así como sus riesgos para la salud y los métodos de control de exposición en el lugar de trabajo. También examinamos los problemas de salud y cómo evaluar la exposición al asbesto. El curso de capacitación en línea de Concientización sobre la seguridad del plomo fue diseñado para empleadores, gerentes, supervisores y trabajadores de la construcción y otras industrias donde los trabajadores pueden estar expuestos al plomo. Este curso explora el trabajo seguro en áreas contaminadas con plomo. Este curso discutirá cómo trabajar de manera segura en ambientes contaminados con plomo y reconocerá las formas en que los trabajadores están expuestos al plomo.
 
COR 1022S Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Anti Harassment Training in Registered Apprenticeship - Apprentices and Applicants (2 hours) – Used to be COR 1022 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) - EEO meaning Equal Employment Opportunity is the principle that every person, regardless of attributes such as race, gender or sexual orientation, has an equal opportunity to find employment based on merit or while in the workplace. This course will educate participants about the Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.
 
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
 
COR 1162 Occupational Noise and Hearing Loss (.5-1 hour) - This Workplace Noise and Hearing Loss online training course is designed for managers, supervisors, and employees in workplaces with high noise levels. Noise is one of the most pervasive occupational hazards in the U.S and Canada. In this course, we will discuss noise and hearing, how noise is measured, and how to develop a workplace Hearing Conservation Program.

Upcoming iFTI Classes

Below are the upcoming classes for the months of November and December:
 
FTI 1120C USACE Fall Protection
11/15/22 - 11/18/22

FTI 1138C ICRA Worker Train-the-Trainer
11/15/22 - 11/17/22

FTI 1104C American Heart Association Heartsaver
11/29/22 - 12/1/22

FTI 1221 Labor Law in the Construction Industry (B)
12/4/2022 - 12/9/2022

FTI 1109C OSHA 500 @ ISC DC 30
12/5/2022 - 12/9/2022

FTI 1141 Changing the Culture of Construction
12/7/22 - 12/9/22
 
For more information, check the 2022 iFTI Training Calendar in the LMS.

Third Party Online Courses

UPDATE: iFTI and LMCI took action to provide assistance to our affiliates. After reviewing the finances, programs and operational plans, the trustees voted unanimously to cover the costs of Third Party distance learning courses in our Learning Management system (LMS) through January 31, 2023.
For more information about third party courses, check the LMS alerts:

• Third Party Online Course Price List
• Third Party Courses – Best Practices