Instructor Certification Program

JOURNAL: ISSUE 4 - 2015

The Instructor Certification Program (ICP), a cornerstone of BAC’s apprenticeship and training system, continues to provide an important opportunity for instructors from Locals and ADCs throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Conducted over the course of several weeks each year at the BAC/IMI International Training Center in Bowie, MD, the ICP curriculum provides craft-specific technical knowledge, along with coursework on effective teaching techniques.  This opportunity for instructors to refine and sharpen their skills and learn about emerging  products and ideas in our industry ensures that BAC members have access to the highest quality training at all stages of their careers. 

To complete ICP, Local instructors attend courses with graduate-level professors from the University of Maryland and experienced staff presenters from the International Union, the International Masonry Institute and the International Masonry Training and Education Foundation (IMTEF).  Instructors learn to create lesson plans and successfully convey information to students of varying ages and backgrounds.  Coursework on trade mathematics, blueprint reading, teaching unionism and building codes are offered, with additional training on computers and the use of technology. 

“No matter how good you are, there is always something to learn.”

– Aaron Boyd of Local 4 Indiana/Kentucky

Instructors also participate in Train-the-Trainer OSHA programs and other third party certifications.  Outside of the formal program, they have the opportunity to learn from each other and share best practices.  This communication continues when they return to their local programs, creating a network of experienced instructors that share resources and information in order to improve their training programs.

During their final year, instructors complete an instructional internship, pass a comprehensive exam and produce a video showcasing their teaching skills.  They also create a portfolio that brings together everything they’ve learned during the course of the program, which is then reviewed and approved by a certification committee.  Twenty-seven instructors have graduated from the Instructor Certification Program during the last two years. To date, more than 650 BAC members have attended at least part of the program, resulting in over two hundred certified instructors.

“Before ICP, I thought I possessed the necessary skills to teach young men and women effectively. I was sorely mistaken.”

– Michael Bates of Ohio-Kentucky Administrative District Council

A new addition to our commitment to lifelong education is the introduction of the ICP Academy. This post-certification program will enable certified instructors to both maintain their skills and expand their knowledge during the remainder of their careers.  Since IMTEF is close to releasing an updated instructor curriculum, academy attendees will be among the first exposed to the new material and associated teaching modules.

ICP is more essential than ever, as the quality of BAC’s training programs help to give BAC members and contractors a competitive advantage in the ever-changing construction marketplace.

The 2015 ICP graduates
First row from left, Jeremy Brayton of Local 15 MO/KS/NE, Victor DeSalvo of Local 7 NY/NJ, Danny McCarthy of Local 3 MA/ME/NH/RI, Brian Adams of Local 1 SK; second row from left, Ren Engelhardt of Local 5 NJ, Jerald Conrique of Local 18 CA, Harold Bryant, Michael Markowski, and Todd Flynn of Local 3 NY; last row from left, Thomas Smith of Local 5 PA, Royce Yount of Local 1 MO, David Laninga, Sr. of Local 52 IL, Richard Slivkanch of Local 5 PA, and Richard Portz, III of Local 1 MN/ND. Not pictured is John Esposito of Local 1 CT.