One of the most frequently asked questions at the IICRC headquarters involves meeting the continuing education requirements for maintaining certifications. For restoration or cleaning categories, the base requirement is two Continuing Education Credits (CECs) every four years. Master designations and inspection designations require two CECs every two years.
There are many ways for IICRC Certified Registrants to earn the needed CECs. One way is to attend an approved IICRC Certificate class in the same or a different category. Another way is to attend an approved CEC event. Many special classes, workshops, conventions and conferences have been approved for continuing education. Each CEC accounts for seven hours of educational training. Therefore a one-day class equals one CEC, a half day workshop counts for 0.5 CEC, etc. The most any single event can count for is two CECs. Most conventions/conferences that are three days long qualify for two CECs based on seminars available, trade show hours, special presentations, etc. A complete list of all approved CEC events can be found on the IICRC website. From the home page at www.iicrc.org, click on the “Education and Certification” tab and select the Continuing Education option. When you scroll down, you will see the list of literally hundreds of approved events ranging from supplier-sponsored workshops to association conventions.
Approved CEC event attendees can receive credit for attending an approved event in several ways. They can sign in on an attendance roster at an IICRC class, sign in at the IICRC booth at a trade show or convention, or sometimes the event organizer will forward an attendee list to IICRC that we can cross reference with our database, or an attendee can submit a CEC application form along with evidence of his/her attendance (like a program, name tag, etc.). They can turn them in to the IICRC office. We then update their records accordingly. The forms are available from the IICRC office and can be faxed or e-mailed upon request.
There are also a number of distance learning options for registrants that cannot attend classes, workshops or conferences. For a list of available distance and on-line learning opportunities just select the “Distance Learning” option under the same “Education and Certification” tab on the website.
Each year on your renewal notice your CEC status is noted. Once you achieve the required number of CECs and turned in the paperwork, your records will be updated and the requirement date bumped out another two or four years.
It is recommended that each time you plan to attend an industry related event, such as a supplier workshop, convention, certification class or conference, that you check the CEC list. It is not recommended to wait until the last minute to start thinking about attending an event. The two CECs every four years requirement is not intended to be a burden, but meant to insure that certified technicians are staying on top of the technology and best practices in their profession.
