You and IREC – Setting the Standard for Quality
By Kristen Ferguson
Manager of Assessor Training & Development for IREC Credentialing Program
Today, we are pleased to celebrate the completion of two new IREC Standards for our clean energy industry. The standards for accreditation of training providers and certification of instructors and master trainers bear the IREC name and reflect our role as a national thought leader and ANSI-accredited standards developer.
While IREC oversaw the standards development process, according to established procedures, the content represents what you, our peers in the clean energy industry, define as a high-quality training provider and an exceptional instructor. Through balanced stakeholder representation on the working group who crafted the standards, and comments through surveys on the draft standards, you have stamped your approval and continue to raise the bar for a safe and effective workforce that inspires consumer confidence.
More than a dozen members of our community volunteered their time and considerable energy to represent their stakeholder groups and ensure that together we crafted a balanced and fair standard that represents excellence. You can see some highlights of the work in this issue of the Chronicle. Later this fall, we will tell you more about the collaborative development process.
Image: © Olivier Le Moal – Fotolia. com
“Being a part of this working group has been an eye opening experience that has given me an even greater respect for accrediting and credentialing boards than I already had. The members of this workgroup are truly committed to ensuring IREC accredited training providers are of the highest quality and that individuals who are certified as instructors and master trainers are ready, willing and able to prepare others for exciting careers in clean energy technology. This has been a challenging but rewarding experience, and I am grateful for being given the opportunity to participate.”
–Lisa Hatcher, Campus Dean
New River CTC Advanced Technology Center
Ghent, WV
“I applaud IREC’s decision to separate instructor certification from program accreditation in its new standard. This decision led to a number of passionate discussions among the standards committee that ultimately balanced the need to assess the competency of instructors while ensuring that the content they teach reflects the standard of quality necessary to support the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. This separation in the new standard better aligns with traditional educational credentials and better differentiates the teaching and administrative responsibilities required for professional training organizations.”
–Vaughan Woodruff
Insource Renewables
Pittsfield, ME
