b"BASIC TRAININGinstallation is a component of the 309AThe program is designed for 309A journey- Theconvenienceandefficiencyofthis ElectricianConstructionandMainten- persons,minimumthird-termapprenticespooled relationship is attractive to property ancetradecurriculum,inOntario,onlywithintermediatetradeschoolandfiremanagersandbuildingowners,whoare those with Certi-Fire Electrician or CFAAalarmtechniciansseekingtoincreasetheirincreasinglylookingtoconsolidatetheir Techniciancertificationmayengageinskillsandknowledge,improveconditionsrelationships into a one-stop shop for every thedesign,testingorverificationoffirein their current job or enhance their careerfire alarm need, Lee says.alarm systems. opportunitieswithinthesector.ItcanbeShe explains that because of COVID-related Hence,oneofthekeymandatesofthecompletedinasfewasthreeyears,andrestrictions, the in-person training compon-thankstoSDFfunding,tuitionisfree.ent of the program has suffered. However, Certi-FireprogramistoprotectlivesGiven the dynamic nature of the BuildingCerti-Fire has plans to alleviate this situation. across Ontario by facilitating more quali- and Fire Codes, Certi-Fire electricians mustAssuming its 2022 funding comes through fied,skilledworkerstolegallyperformre-certifyeveryfiveyears. That'sthefifth(still pending as of this writing), the Virtual criticaltaskssuchasdesign,installation,component of this five-level program. TheCerti-FireLabAssessmentDevelopment verification, testing and updating fire alarmprogramalsoprovidescontractorswithaconcept will address this issue. Development systems,explainsProgramAdministratorcompetitive advantage.of a virtual reality (VR) platform, where a Phyllis Lee. wearable device allows students to learn to ECAOelectricalcontractormembersthatwire a fire panel, is currently under way. It's In the fire alarm industry, change is theemployCerti-Fire-accreditedelectricians onlyconstant,shesays.AstechnologycanbecertifiedundertheRegisteredFireasolutionthatwillresolveindoorsetting and systems advance, ongoing skills train- AlarmContractor(RFAC)Program.Thislimitations and remove the need for students ingisnecessarytoremaincompetitiveallows them to brand their designation as ato travel to test labs.inthemarketplaceandprovidethebestvalue differentiator, akin to being a MicrosoftCOVID-19restrictionsornot,theVR protection for consumers. Certified shop for an IT business.solution makes sense. It's still very costly ConstructionInsurance andSurety SpecialistsLocal Knowledge Industry SpecificTailored Insurance and Expert Advice Programs and Surety Solutions1-866-912-6926|cowanconstruction.caWe care about what you care aboutcowangroup.caOntario Electrical Contractor21"