May 20, 2020 Update
The NCLBGC’s recent decision to allow online education and training for all of the continuing education requirements this year was strongly and solely pushed by Carolinas AGC. The legislation, as approved last year by lawmakers and the governor, would not have allowed for such online training this year.
In testimony before the Board on May 14, Dave Simpson, President & CEO of Carolinas AGC, said it did not make good common sense not to allow online courses this year for all of the NCLBGC’s continuing education requirements, particularly with safety issues posed by the pandemic. “One thing we have learned with this pandemic is that we in the construction industry can do a whole lot more than we ever imagined we could online. With online classes not being allowed this year with this new law, it limits options for GCs to easily obtain their continuing education credits, especially for GCs who do work in NC but live in SC and surrounding states.”
CAGC also pushed to have the new law delayed a year but, in a compromise that was unavoidable because of strong support for the new law by the home builders, we supported moving ahead with the new law provided that the Board allowed for the online training. View Dave Simpson’s written testimony.
The fact that the Board held the emergency meeting to discuss the issue followed contacts made to the Board by Betsy Bailey, CAGC’s NC Building/Government Relations Director. In several e-mails to Frank Wiesner of the NCLBGC, Bailey expressed concerns about hosting in-person classes during the current coronavirus pandemic. Safety protocols such as social distancing and limits on the number of individuals that could be gathered in one place are not conducive to in-person classes. Additionally, NC is currently in Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan which may not be fully phased in until later in the summer giving general contractors only a few months to complete their education requirements.
With the Board’s decision now allowing providers to offer online classes this year, CAGC will move forward in planning for and offering these courses early this summer. Our members who are required to complete these courses will now have more options to obtain their continuing education (online and in person perhaps later in the year) and can do so in a comfortable and safe environment.
Thank you to our members who responded to our Action Alerts requesting that you contact the NCLBGC with your concerns about the continuing education requirement implementation. Strong advocacy on behalf of our members is one of the many benefits of membership in CAGC and is always more effective when our members are also engaged.
May 14, 2020
The NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (Board) held an emergency meeting May 14 where they
voted unanimously to authorize approved continuing education providers to offer the option of online education instruction this year. For qualifiers in general contractor companies who must meet this new requirement, this means you may now take all 8 hours of education online this year as long as it is offered by an approved provider. The original legislation enacted last year required all courses to be offered in person for the first year (2020) of the new requirement. However, as a result of the Board’s action yesterday, approved providers, like CAGC, may now offer both elective and board mandated courses online beginning in June rather than having to wait until January 1, 2021.
Earlier this Spring when the Governor enacted the Emergency Stay at Home Order for NC, CAGC sent several e-mails to the Executive Director for the Board expressing concerns about hosting in-person classes during the current coronavirus pandemic. Safety protocols such as social distancing and limits on the number of individuals that could be gathered in one place are not conducive to in-person classes. Additionally, NC is currently in Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan which may not be fully phased in until later in the summer giving general contractors only a few months to complete their education requirements.
CAGC urged the Board to take action to delay the continuing education requirement for one year until the uncertainty surrounding the current health crisis could subside – especially, given that online courses were not an option in the first year. However, we added that our concerns could be alleviated if online course options could be available to our members so they would not have to attend in-person classes.
With the Board’s decision yesterday now allowing providers to offer online classes this year, CAGC can move forward in planning for and offering these courses early this summer. Our members who are required to complete these courses will now have more options to obtain their continuing education (online and in person perhaps later in the year) and can do so in a comfortable and safe environment.
Thank you to our members who responded to our Action Alerts requesting that you contact the NCLBGC with your concerns about the continuing education requirement implementation. Strong advocacy on behalf of our members is one of the many benefits of membership in CAGC and is always more effective when our members are also engaged.