The Associate Instructor Training Program was accredited by the COE (Council on Occupational Education), providing a pathway for iFTI instructors/coordinators along two phases of instructor development; the Associate Instructor Program and the Master Instructor Program. The Associate Instructor Program requires the completion of 4 course requirements:
-Introduction to Teaching Techniques for Adults
-Teaching Techniques for Adults
-1 Health and Safety course
-1 Elective selected from the iFTI’s array of instructor courses found on the iFTI Course Catalog.
The Master Instructor Training Program sets a pathway for IUPAT instructors to become certified instructor in skills and safety training. The program consists10 courses (including the 4 Associate Instructor courses and a final Capstone project). Please refer to the Instructor Pathway brochure for the list of courses.
Successful graduates of the program will develop educational resources and administer the training that support a culture of lifelong learning for union members working in the Finishing Industries. This brings IUPAT training to a new level not only for the benefit of union members who receive it from a certified instructor, but for the companies who employ IUPAT members as well.
During the Capstone course, the students will identify, research, and design and develop a training module that addresses a challenge or a gap in skills and knowledge identified in their local training centers or nationwide.
The iFTI Master Instructor Capstone is an instructor’s final course in the Master Instructor pathway. Successful completion of this course leads to recogntion as an iFTI Master Instructor.
The Capstone begins with a two-day, in-person seminar at the iFTI in Hanover, Maryland. During this seminar, participants:
- Connect and collaborate with peers and course instructors
- Review the Capstone objectives, expectations, and completion requirements
- Develop and refine their Capstone project proposal
- Examine required deliverables and establish a clear project timeline.
Given approximately 4 months to complete the project, participants will work independently to design and develop a unit of instruction with guidance and scheduled virtual meetings with the Capstone advisors throughout the project. The participants then return to the iFTI campus to present an overview of their experience designing and developing their projects while also reflecting on their work and the project to the class. Participants receive feedback from peers, advisors, and guests (i.e., DOTs, COE Advisory Board members).
Those who complete the requirements of the course are recognized as an IUPAT Master Instructor and will be officially and publicly recognized as a part of an elite corps of IUPAT trainers and educators in the United States and Canada. In addition to their new status as a master instructor, their coursework may be used in IUPAT district councils across North America.
The IUPAT Master Instructor Program will advance IUPAT training programs and raise the profile of the entire training and education network of the North America Building Trades Unions. Further making the case that an apprenticeship in the Building Trades is another choice for young men and women who not only seek a secondary education, but also a successful professional career.