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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.

Instructor Evaluations

Visit to DC 9 Pandemic Resiliency Class

On January 16 and 17, staff from the iFTI were invited by Director of Training Costas Diamantis to visit District Council 9 in New York to observe the Pandemic Resiliency class in action. Experienced trainers, Juan Bernal and Omar Robinson, instructed the class on general and COVID-19 specific pandemic topics that emphasize organization resiliency with the implementation of pandemic proactive health and safety measures through a structured pandemic plan.

As part of iFTI’s emphasis on instructor development at all levels, evaluations are conducted periodically by members of iFTI staff and other trained District Council members. These evaluations are for the instructor to reflect on his instructional delivery and see not only where improvement is needed, but also, where mastery is present in the employed instructional strategies and methods.

Finishing Industries Forum 2023

Several iFTI staff members were involved in planning this year's FIF in Las Vegas and worked and/or attended the Forum. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigeig both recognized IUPAT members for their crucial role in promoting labor rights and labor-management partnerships, job quality, and essential protections for all workers.

COE Reaffirmation

The iFTI kicked off their COE Reaffirmation for 2023 with a staff meeting to review the details of COE Accreditation, the parts of the year-long self-study. Part of reaffirmation is assessing the 10 Standards of Excellence and making sure that we align with these standards and show proof of this. This requires the participation of all iFTI employees who learned their assigned standards and role in the process.

iFTI Degree Program Updates

As a result of our agreements with various institutions of higher education, we are fulfilling a part of the iFTI’s mission “to promote and sustain industry-driven programs that support the culture of lifelong learning for professionals in the finishing trades industries."

Currently, we have several members who have taken advantage of these programs and attained or are in the process of attaining an Associate in Arts (AA), Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. The following list of programs are available to all members. Sponsorship for iFTI instructors is available by request. For more information contact iFTI.

Columbia Southern University (CSU) - AA in Occupational Health and Safety, BS in Occupational Health and Safety

SUNY Empire State College - AA in Labor Studies, BS in Labor Studies

Rowan - BA in Construction Management

We continue to work on forming agreements with other institutions.

First Offshore Wind Farm: Block Island Wind Farm

Maximo Decaba, an industrial painter from DC 11, worked on the country’s first offshore wind farm, Block Island Wind Farm.

Several stories have been published about his work experience and the wind turbine. Check out some of the articles:

Climate Jobs Voices - Hear from the workers building renewable energy infrastructure and sustaining our communities.
NPR Story - What kinds of jobs will be created by offshore wind farms? When President Biden talks about America's clean energy transition, he often mentions good paying union jobs. We examine what jobs the offshore wind industry could offer.

Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) Training Videos @ DC 35

The iFTI, in cooperation with FTI-NE of DC 35, filmed Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) course videos. The videos are based on best practices, OSHA Standards, and ANSI SAIA regulations. One of the trainers, Mike Moreschi, went over two equipment models - JLG 45853 boom lift and Genie GS-2632 scissor lift.

You can login to the iFTI Learning Management system (LMS) and check the course descriptions for the courses listed in this LMS alert - Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) Training Videos @ DC 35

The videos are also found in the iFTI Youtube channel:

Spanish Courses in the LMS

In an effort to better serve our instructors and members, the iFTI Curriculum team is working to offer more courses in Spanish. The current Spanish resources are listed in the LMS Alert/ticker.

SPN 1000 Historia de la IUPAT - Este curso es un curso integral que cubre la historia de los sindicatos a través del entorno económico, social y político actual en el que ingresa un trabajador hoy. Todos los miembros de los oficios que participen en este curso aprenderán las razones de la sindicalización, cómo los sindicatos promueven el oficio y sirven a los miembros, y la estructura y actividades de su sindicato.

Contact support@iupat.org if there are courses you would like to be converted to Spanish.

Third Party Online Courses

After reviewing the finances, programs and operational plans, iFTI and LMCI trustees took action to provide assistance to our affiliates by voting unanimously to cover the costs of Third Party distance learning courses in our Learning Management system (LMS) through June 30, 2023.

For more information about third party courses, check the LMS alerts:

Updated and New Courses/Lessons/Course Materials as of Q1 2022 - Q1 2023

The iFTI Curriculum department continues to upload new courses,
updated eLearning lessons, and add new course materials in the iFTI Learning Management System (LMS). For your reference, view the alerts on the LMS homepage.

December Updates
January Updates

COR 1159 Back Safety* - The course has an online lesson - Manual Material Handling and Back Safety which involves the moving of material by hand through lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, pulling, shoveling or any combination of these actions. About 58% of back injuries are caused by manual material handling. In this course, we look at the anatomy of the back, injuries of the back caused by manual material handling and how to prevent them. This course is 30 minutes in length.

COR 1266 Mental Health Awareness* (1.5 hours). An online lesson was added to the existing module Dealing with Grief. Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace is designed for employees in a senior leadership role, HR and OHS specialists and Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) members. Students learn about workplace psychological health and safety (PH&S), the reasons it is important, recognize workplace psychosocial risk factors, and the steps involved in developing, maintaining and continually improving a workplace PH&S program.

FTI 1151 Radiological Fundamentals (3 hours). A supplementary module was added to the course. Working Safely Around Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields online training course is designed for employees who work with, or near, sources of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF). In this course, students learn about different types of electromagnetic radiation, the industries and equipment where they are found, health effects from exposure, and how to work safely with and around them.

EEO Courses in the LMS:

COR 1022I Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Anti Harassment Training in Registered Apprenticeship – Program Sponsor
COR 1022S Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Anti Harassment Training in Registered Apprenticeship - Apprentices and Applicants
SPN 1022S Igualdad de Oportunidades en el Empleo (EEO) y Capacitacion Contra el Acoso en el Aprendizaje Registrado: Aprendices y Solicitantes
SPN 1022I Igualdad de Oportunidades en el Empleo (EEO) y Capacitacion Contra el Acoso en el Aprendizaje Registrado: Patrocinador del Programa

Upcoming iFTI Classes

Below are the upcoming classes for March 2023:

FTI 1111C OVERTON Mobile Elevated work Platforms (MEWP) - 3/14/2023
FTI 1119C OSHA 502 - 3/21/2023
FTI 1001 Teaching Techniques for Adults - 3/27/2023

For more information, check the 2023 iFTI Training Calendar in the LMS.

Notable

TOOLS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH

Upcoming Focus Four Stand-Down Events
April 17-21 marks the fourth annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents, when employers are urged to prevent struck-by hazards on the job by improving planning, conducting training and demonstrations, holding safety-related contests and equipment inspections, and gathering feedback on workplace policies from employees. Learn more and take advantage of free Stand-Down resources.

Following the Struck-by Stand-Down, we will shift our focus to the 10^th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction May 1-5. Don’t forget to order free hardhat stickers and hazard alert cards, and CPWR has also added to its collection of infographics with resources on three new topics: Planning a Multi-layered Approach to Fall Prevention and Protection; Rescue Planning Saves Lives; and Occupational Health Inequity: Hispanic Workers More Likely to Die from Falls.