Western Washington JATC Achieves Platinum Accreditation through the ITI
The Western Washington Sheet Metal Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) recently earning platinum accreditation from the Sheet Metal International Training Institute (ITI), the ultimate recognition of apprenticeship training excellence.
The Western Washington JATC covers all of Western Washington excluding Clark and Skamania Counties, conducting training programs in sheet metal worker, HVAC service technician, HVAC testing, adjusting and balancing technician, and residential sheet metal worker.
The Training Centre joins an elite group of platinum recipients among the 153 unionized sheet metal training centres across the country that are assessed every five years by the ITI for accreditation, which sets the quality standards for higher education in the sheet metal industry. When the assessment process recommenced in the summer of 2017, Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 in Portland, Oregon; Local 2 in Kansas City, Missouri; Local 91 in Rock Island, Illinois; and Local 206 in San Diego emerged with the platinum designation.
Jeff Reinhardt, training coordinator at the Western Washington JATC says the team is glad to have done all the work necessary to get platinum accreditation, including training trustees on the accreditation process. “The value of being recognized by other organizations as having achieved a new plateau of standards cannot be underestimated,” he says.
Larry Lawrence is an ITI field representative and a former Colorado-based JATC coordinator who had taken the steps necessary to achieve gold designation, formerly the highest JATC accreditation standard.
“As far as I’m concerned, platinum sends the message that the pinnacle of excellence is higher than previously thought,” he says. “It keeps programs fresh. It motivates coordinators to improve. In a real sense, with platinum we’re setting a benchmark for JATCs everywhere.”
Like previous recipients, when Western Washington began preparing for the accreditation, coordinators learned that it required updated written documentation of policies and samples to fit each criterion, rather than explaining in-person to the ITI board how business is conducted.
“There is a substantial list that needs to be completed for the accreditation, but the list it tiered so the more you do the better your ranking is based off of earned points,” Reinhardt says.
Carl Odendahl, training coordinator at Local 91, and Chris Caricato, training director at Local 206, say the use of TotalTrack – and how it’s used – was the secret weapon in giving the JATC the best chance at achieving platinum status. TotalTrack is an online portal which allows training directors and instructors to track apprentices’ progress, keep grades, communicate, and log hours worked on a jobsite, which is mandatory for the completion of the apprenticeship. Forms, files, and other official paperwork are digitally and safely kept in the TotalTrack system.
“TotalTrack makes things much easier to manage from the educational standpoint,” said Caricato. “Much of the added platinum criteria is based off the TotalTrack database.”
TotalTrack was the method by which Western Washington was able to upload its substantial volume of data. Previous platinum recipients have praised TotalTrack for facilitating the accreditation process, but there is some concern of a learning curve.
Jason Ferguson, coordinator for the Sheet Metal JATC for the Greater Kansas City area, said in 2018, “Had we not already been using TotalTrack in our training center, the accreditation process would have been much more difficult. We would not have been able to achieve platinum status.”
But Reinhardt’s JATC demonstrates that the learning curve needn’t be overwhelming. “Larry did an excellent job supporting us by establishing a file structure system for TotalTrack and being available whenever we had questions,” he says.
Lawrence adds that while inputting the data and having it verified can be time-consuming, the ITI can help by training staff on how to expand their capabilities. “It’s not an insurmountable problem,” he says.
The Western Washington JATC has good human resources – including two coordinators and two administrators – who could help with the information gathering and uploading.
As for involving the trustees in the accreditation process, Reinhardt says they were all for it.
“Training consisted of gathering them together in a room and staging a PowerPoint-style presentation,” he says. “It took several hours, and the trustees said they either learned something new or had some of their existing ideas reinforced.”
Now that the platinum accreditation is gaining momentum, Lawrence is gung-ho about other JATCs earning the designation. “It’s equally beneficial to us as it is to the training committees,” he says. “For example, it makes them as close to a college as they can possibly be perceived, which in turn helps in the recruitment process—and which, in turn, helps us get more funding.”
As with gold or any of the other designations, there is a healthy amount of leeway in achieving platinum, as well as considerations once it’s obtained. “If you don’t get it on the first try, at least you know what the criteria is and you can use this knowledge to make a better second attempt,” says Lawrence. “Theoretically, if you put in the required work you can go from a bronze to platinum in the space of a one-year cycle. But once you get it, just like gold or the other designations you can easily lose it if you don’t maintain your high standards.”
Past platinum recipients suggest that contenders start as early as they can to obtain all of the documentation they need—especially given that they may have to create new documentation, which has to be approved by their committee. They also stress that other coordinators can provide advice, and that regional ITI representatives are a great information resource. Finally, they suggest that TotalTrack be continuously updated through the five years in between accreditation audits.
For his part, Reinhardt thinks other JATCs should consider aiming for platinum. “We’re accredited through a local technical college, and with our Dupont and Everett training facilities now platinum designated, we can use it as a great sales pitch,” he says. “Only good things can come from upping your game.”
By / Robin Brunet
Photos courtesy of Western Washington JATC and the International Training Institute ITI
