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iFTI Updates

The latest from the International Finishing Trades Institute.
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Industry Leaders Attend the 2022 IUPAT Coatings and Glazing Forum

The inaugural IUPAT Coatings and Glazing Forum launched with great success as the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades welcomed leaders, specialists and contractors from the glazing and industrial painting industries to our Hanover, Maryland campus.

The day began with continuing education classes presented by Dow, Sherwin Williams, AMMP and Administrative Management Systems.

In the afternoon, IUPAT General President James Williams Jr. led a discussion with the leadership of the Painters and Allied Trades LMCI, the International Finishing Trades Institute and the IUPAT Job Corps. A panel of representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor and other government agencies held a panel discussion on U.S. government departmental initiatives that have an impact on union labor while taking questions from attendees. The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades will be holding forums like this one throughout the United States and Canada to further engage provincial, state and local leaders on how we are more than just a union representing men and women in our crafts – we are leaders in our communities and industries.

Stay tuned for news on the 2023 Forum and see more pictures from the event HERE.

iFTI is now an Apprenticeship Ambassador!

The US Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA) recognizes the International Finishing Trades Institute (iFTI) as an Apprenticeship Ambassador.

DOL’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative seeks to create a national network of employers, labor organizations, industry associations, program sponsors, educators, workforce intermediaries, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to serve as champions for expanding and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship.

With the partnership, the iFTI will serve as a champion in promoting, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship and support towards strengthening our nation’s workforce.

Apprenticeship Ambassador Fact Sheet -
Certificate of Recognition as an approved Apprenticeship Ambassador

Instructor Evaluations and Enhancement

The iFTI recently launched an Instructor Evaluation and Enhancement process to help ensure consistency in the delivery of iFTI train-the-trainer and trade curriculum courses at the District Council level.

The Instructor evaluation consists of an electronic form used during in-person observation of an instructor that will look at the basic instructional strategies used, instructor-student engagement, lesson preparation, classroom setup, and other delivery and interpersonal and professional skills observed during the training evaluation.

The main purpose is to provide immediate and confidential feedback to the instructor and an opportunity for discussion to foster confidence and suggest further development of professional skills if needed. The iFTI will collaborate with the Director of Training to conduct or to assign a reviewer to conduct the observation and provide feedback. Initially, the reviewer may be iFTI designated personnel, but the iFTI encourages the DoT or a designated Coordinator at the DC to begin conducting the evaluations immediately.

Please contact Kelly Locke at klocke@ifit.edu with any questions for further detail or to coordinate a date and time to conduct the evaluation. Ideally, these would be done in-person, but we could also use Zoom (video conferencing technology) to conduct the evaluation at a distance if needed. The iFTI looks forward to working with you and your instructors and feel this will be a great opportunity to enhance our instructor training program and to fulfill DOL grant requirements.

Supervisor Training Program (STP) Update

July 11–14, 2022 – District Council 14 hosted a pilot for the iFTI’s newly revised Supervisor Training Program(STP). The four days of training was broken into two days of student training and two days of candidate instructor training. In all, 11 new instructors, including at least one contractor, completed the program and have been provided the tools to teach this program at the district council level. Candidate instructors delivered 30 minute teach-back presentations on an STP lesson of their choice. There was a lot of experience in the room and detailed and valuable discussions ensued.

Congratulations to these members for completing the STP instructor training class in July!

The FTI 1212 STP is a foundational program designed to teach individuals “running work” the essential knowledge, hard skills, and soft skills to succeed in the supervisory role. The program intends to strengthen the abilities of project supervisors at all levels and provide the basics of supervision to improve understanding of the supervisor’s job regardless of length of experience.

STP is designed to benefit first time supervisors/foremen as well as those with substantial supervisory experiences to improve performance and to positively impact those they are supervising and mentoring. New supervisors/foremen will broaden their understanding of the responsibilities of their job and gain knowledge, tools and techniques to better fulfill those responsibilities. It is beneficial for experienced supervisors to update their understanding of supervision, to strengthen their skills in traditional areas, and to develop new skills in emerging areas such as mentoring. The supervisor training program is highly interactive and naturally opens discussions and encourages participants to learn from one another. The course is open to all field supervisors, foremen and those who anticipate fulfilling these roles in the near future. A management representative of the employer is encouraged to attend the course along with their sponsored employees.

As with any course, please complete the DOT Request – Training Registration Form to request enrollment in an upcoming TtT class at the iFTI or an Instructional Service Center.

DC 06/FTI OR Receives COE accreditation

Congratulations to District Council 6/FTI Ohio Region on receiving COE accreditation in June 2022! DC6 becomes the sixth iFTI District Council (and the 20th building trades registered apprenticeship) to become accredited by the Council on Occupational Accreditation. DOT George Boots led FTIOR staff through a process of learning and analysis of each of its four crafts that were candidates for accreditation: Painter, Drywall Finisher, Glazier and Industrial Painter. “There was no template or boiler-plate we could use,” Boots said in an interview with Matt Jaworski, Labor Citizen Writer. “We all had to think. It led to everyone having a better understanding of what we needed to achieve.”

The COE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education offered by the institutions it has accredited, which includes registered apprenticeship programs. The work towards accreditation involved FTIOR staff, trustees, and District Council 6 Business Agents. DOT Boots believes the hard work is well worth it and that they are in a better position now to ensure the training and education provided in the DC6 training center is top notch and setting their members up for success in the field and as they build their futures. DC6 journeymen and apprentices may not notice some of the subtle changes, such as filling out program surveys, but their feedback can help identify gaps in training or areas for improvement. Contractors will also be asked to provide feedback to ensure they have highly skilled and knowledgeable workers on their job sites. DOT Boots is very excited that this accreditation will also allow them to explore opportunities for grants to address topics such as diversity and outreach through the Department of Labor and Department of Education. COE accreditation denotes honesty and integrity and DC6 can now proudly display this nationally honored seal of excellence!

Susan Harwood Grants – OSHA

A message from Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor Jim Frederick to Susan Harwood Grantees:

I am excited to share a message from Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh with you. I join Secretary Walsh in recognizing your organizations as critical partners in the advancement of opportunity and equity in communities you serve and thank you for your efforts. Your knowledge of the unique needs of your service areas and your willingness to engage in this important work help OSHA reach the audiences in greatest need of protection from workplace hazards. Know that the work you do absolutely has a positive impact in America’s workplaces.

I encourage you to share his message with all who help you bring critical occupational safety and health training to underserved communities.

Thanks for all your valued contributions towards accomplishing OSHA’s mission. Let’s continue to get the work done together!

Jim Frederick
Deputy Assistant Secretary
US Department of Labor
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
www.osha.gov

Save the Date - Inaugural Health and Safety Instructor Symposium

October 26-27, 2022

Instructor Lounge Sunset

The Instructor Lounge link in the LMS has been discontinued. Similar features are available upon logging in the LMS such as the Message Center, My Communities, Documents, etc. The tutorial is linked here.

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.

For more information about Rosetta Stone, please visit the LMS ticker - iftilms.org/rosetta-stone.

Updated and New Courses/Lessons/Course Materials 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.

June Course Updates
July Course Updates

New Videos

FTI 138 Occupational Exposure to Silica
• West Virginia@150 Hawks Nest 1930
• Remembering the Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster in the 1930s from 1989 Video Those Who Know Don’t Tell
• Deadly Dust: A Bricklayer’s Job Nearly Kills Him

FTI 1187C Permit Required Confined Space Entry (CERTIFICATION) videos
• Precious Time
• CSB Safety Video – Hazards of Nitrogen Asphyxiation
• How to Properly Clean a Half Face Respirator

Respirator Videos

Blueprint Catalog

The blueprint catalog is now available in the LMS. Depending on your permissions, you may have access to these courses or learning paths. You can check these courses by going to:

1. Catalog - Browse your current catalog or type Blueprint in the Search field.

2. My Dashboard - If you have assigned the Learning Path to your account, go to My Learning Path (pathway/road icon) and select Blueprint courses.

Below are the current blueprint courses loaded in our Learning Management System (LMS). The courses do not have online modules but they have downloadable resources under Course Materials.

COR 003 Blueprint Reading Fundamentals Level 1 - 4 HR (Instructor Access)
COR 004 Blueprint Reading Level 2 - 8 HR (Instructor Access)
COR 005I Blueprint Application Level 3 - 16 HR (Instructor Access)
COR 005S Blueprint Application Level 3 - 16 HR (Student Access)
COR 1046 Basic Blueprint Reading
GLZ 5303 Blueprint Reading: Perimeter Sheets
GLZ 5304 Blueprint Reading: Shop Drawings/Diagrams
GLZ 5305 Blueprint Reading: Architectural

Sign and Display Curriculum

The Programs of Study has been updated to include the draft standards and competencies for the Sign and Display Worker curriculum. Most of the courses (starting with 8000s) created have no content available in the LMS and are placeholders used to track completion. If you belong to the Sign and Display instructor group, you will have access to the old books uploaded in the LMS.

The new Sign and Display Worker courses include:

SGN 8102 ADA Signage
SGN 8503 Cabinet Installations
SGN 8404 Channel Lettering Fabrication
SGN 8202 Channel Lettering Installation
SGN 8201 Dimensional Lettering Installation I
SGN 8403 Dimensional Letter Fabrication
SGN 8701 Engraving and CNC Routing for Signs
SGN 8407 Environmental Graphics and Signage Systems
SGN 8504 Intermediate Cabinet Sign Installation
SGN 8700 Introduction to Dynamic Digital Signage
SGN 8200 Introduction to Sign Layout and Design
SGN 8100 Introduction to Sign Making
SGN 8300 Introduction to Tool and Equipment
SGN 8506 Large Format Vinyl Installation
SGN 8502 LED and Other Electrical Signage
SGN 8505 Monument and Complex Sign Installation
SGN 8101 Portfolio Compilation for Sign Techs
SGN 8501 Post and Panel and Pylon Sign Installation
SGN 8405 Sign Cabinet and Awning Fabrication
SGN 8500 Sign Installation Techniques
SGN 8000 Signage Codes and Permits
SGN 8402 Signage Site Surveys
SGN 8600 Silk Screening and Printing Basics
SGN 8400 Taking Signage Requests and Working with Customers
SGN 8203 Vehicle Wrap Introduction
SGN 8406 Vinyl Lettering Fabrication and Application
SGN 8401 Welding for the Sign Trade

Notable

New Report Examines Causes of Falls

Falls remain the leading cause of job site deaths among construction workers, with an annual average of more than 300 fatalities. To better understand why, CPWR surveyed 495 people who experienced, witnessed, or investigated a fall incident. In a new report summarizing their responses, participants said they believed that a lack of adequate planning is a key underlying cause of falls. Lack of planning was also associated with a lower likelihood of using fall protection. Learn about these key findings and others in Underlying Causes of Falls from Heights.

New Toll-free Number – 988 – for Mental Health Help

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has transitioned its previous, ten-digit suicide prevention lifeline to the three-digit number, 9-8-8, which offers compassionate, accessible care and support to anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. Americans can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. The 988 network, which is made up of over 200 centers answering calls, chats, and texts, is looking to bring on new volunteers and paid employees. Also, visit CPWR’s mental health pages for guidance on topics such as suicide prevention and opioid use.