List of Questions

1. Is the training mandatory and how was it selected/developed? I/my employees have completed other industry training and/or have been working in the industry for years, do I/my employee still need to take this training?
2. Can I/my employee challenge the required training for a sector? I/my employee has a trade designation or other qualifications that surpass these requirements.

Questions and Answers

1. Is the training mandatory and how was it selected/developed? I/my employees have completed other industry training and/or have been working in the industry for years, do I/my employee still need to take this training?

Completion of the specified training is mandatory for all contractors, and their installer(s), who wish to join the HPCN. If you have previously completed a required training course before applying to the HPCN, and have a certificate of completion for it, you are not required to retake the training. When industry members proposed priority actions to support the growth of the home performance industry during the development of the Working Roadmap, they identified prescriptive training as an important factor to improve quality whole-home retrofits. The HPSC worked with industry representatives from each sector to identify training needs, complete a gap analysis of existing resources, and select existing training and/or develop new training. You can read more about the development process of the required training here. Mandatory training for home performance sectors can benefit all companies and individuals, across all levels and years of experience. It helps ensure that you and your company have access to the latest information and resources for renovating with a whole-home approach in BC. It provides greater consistency in retrofit approaches, which leads to greater customer satisfaction and a more level playing field for your business. It also helps enhance the overall reputation of the retrofit industry by increasing the quantity of well-trained retrofit contractors in BC; a strong reputation can increase support for the industry and open up new opportunities for your business.

2. Can I/my employee challenge the required training for a sector? I/my employee has a trade designation or other qualifications that surpass these requirements.

Currently, all contractors registering in the HPCN must complete the mandatory qualifications and are unable to challenge them. There are a few reasons for this:

• The mandatory requirements are chosen for their specificity to retrofits (rather than new construction), British Columbia (rather than being non-region specific), and current best practices. Not all industry qualifications are deemed equal on these variables by the HPSC Sector Councils.
• In terms of the option to challenge the requirements with an exam: it is the desire of the Sector Councils to have contractors in the HPCN trained in the standard approach outlined above, rather than only passing a knowledge check.

For standardization and logistics purposes, the current HPCN requirements will remain in place for now. The HPSC continues to be committed to working with industry leaders to identify future enhancements to the HPCN. To share your feedback on the HPCN and its requirements, we encourage you to

1. Consider joining a Sector Council to help shape the HPCN and other industry initiatives
2. Send your feedback to info@homeperformance.ca