Training, Certification, and Accreditation: An Overview

1. Training, Certification, and Accreditation: An Overview NASCSP Annual Conference September 13, 2012 Kelly Cutchin & Jennifer Somers

2. Objectives • Provide an overview of accreditation and certification initiatives • Describe how grantees fit into this scheme • Explain the options within accreditation and certification • Introduce you to the resources available

3. Guidelines for Home Energy • Professionals Project Work Done Right • The Standard Work Specifications: Doing the work right • Accreditation of Energy Efficiency Training Programs:Training folks to do the work right • Home Energy Professional Certifications:Proving that you can do the work right

4. Foundation of Success How Do WeAchieve Quality?

5. Let’s Talk Vocabulary

6. Job Task Analysis

7. National Home Energy ProfessionalWorker Certifications Retrofit Installer Technician Energy Auditor Crew Leader Quality Control Inspector http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/certifications.html Sign up for Updates: workforce.guidelines@nrel.gov

8. IREC Accreditation – Many Options Don’t need a bricks & mortar site to achieve accreditation.

9. IREC Trainer Certification Options

10. Resources are available NOW to start you down the path

11. Training Centers Offering Certification Subsidy

12. Extra Slides

13. Resources for Accreditation

14. Subsidy Program The Weatherization Assistance Program is providing a subsidy to offset Accreditation application expenses for qualified training programs. Subsidy Process: • Must have a documented relationship with a WAP state or local relationship • Must obtain a letter documenting the relationship and provide it to the DOE project officer for the state • The DOE Project officer will verify the relationship • The WAP will issue a letter to the training program verifying its qualification for the subsidy • The verification letter will be submitted by the applicant to IREC with the application Important! Training Programs must apply for the subsidy at the time of application.

16. Accreditation of Training Programs Administered by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Qualified Instructors High Quality Facilities Complete Curriculum Based on the JTA Props/Tools Policies and Procedures ***Voluntary, third-party assessment of training provider quality

17. National Home Energy Professional Certification Pilot • BPI will be administering a pilot program to establish passing scores for the 4 new certification exams • All participants who pass the exam will receive certification • 200 participants are needed to take both the written and field exam per certification. 800 total participants • The pilot period will begin June 18th, 2012 and continue throughout the summer • The anticipated national roll out for the certifications is late Fall 2012

18. Resources for Certification

19. Weatherization Training Center Certification Subsidy • The Weatherization Assistance Program has set aside funding to reimburse eligible WTC for the fees associated with certifying individual workers • Eligibility will be determined by a WTC’s status as a training program providing services to the WAP network • WTC must commit to becoming accredited by IREC as an energy efficiency training program. The deadline to submit an application to IREC is December 31st, 2012 • Once IREC accepts the application, the WTC will be issued a reimbursement payment for the certification exams that were administered under the pilot • The total amount for exam reimbursement will be 250/written and 500/field

20. 30 Years of Technical Expertise

21. Define the Work Standard Work SpecificationsFor Home Energy Upgrades A National Baseline for Work Quality

22. Standard Work Specifications The Objective defines the required outcomes of the work. The Specification defines the minimum level of action required to meet the Objective.

23. The SWS and the Retrofit Process SWS can be used as a menuof available measures to becalled for on the work order SWS define the outcomes and minimum quality standardsof the installed work Data Gathering Analysis & Work Order Work Inspection/ Reporting Systematic inspection of all building systems via a prescribed protocol Analysis of data for energy savings opportunity, cost effectiveness and health and safety concerns Installation of measures called for in the work order Post installation verification that work has been ordered and completed to national standards

24. Once we know what the work is… …we can figure out what a worker needs to know to do the job right Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Job Task Analysis

25. Job Task Analysis Job Task Analyses establish the foundation upon which strong training and certifications are built • Identifies and inventories a job’s critical tasks. • Formal process for determining and cataloguing what a worker does (what tasks). • Skills are classified as either cognitive (mental) or psychomotor (physical); level of criticality is also assessed. • Example: Energy Auditor needs to be able to: • Set up blower door • Run test in accordance with ASTM E779 • Record results of blower door test in diagnostic software, etc….

26. Essential KSAs • Identify the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities that workers should possess to perform high-quality work • Each Job Task has a corresponding set of essential KSAs • Examples: • Demonstrate ability to blow insulation at appropriate air pressure and material quantity… • Demonstrate ability to prioritize air sealing measures to inhibit moisture migration… • Demonstrate knowledge of basic building science, including aligning barriers, stack effect, moisture transfer…

27. Verify the Training The Accreditation of Energy Efficiency Training Programs A national, 3rd party assessment of energy efficiency training programs

28. Certify the Worker National Home EnergyProfessional Certification A national, job oriented certification program for the four most common residential energy efficiency jobs

29. Building the Future: Market Expansion Multifamily Job TaskAnalyses(JTAs) Private Market Integration Consistent, Quality Work Market Expansion Healthy Homes Federal Partners Knowledge, Skills & Abilities(KSAs) National Evaluation

30. Jennifer Somers • Senior Policy Advisor • Team Lead for Training and Technical Assistance • Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program • Jennifer.Somers@ee.doe.gov • Josh Olsen • Policy Advisor • Training and Technical Assistance Specialist • Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program • Joshua.Olsen@ee.doe.gov