As more companies begin to use NTCA University, I have been get- ting questions on how courses on the site should be used. There isn’t a specific path that must be followed to train a new hire and there aren’t any requirements from NTCA that must be met. NTCA is only provid- ing the related learning to some- one’s on-the-job experience. This means it is up to each employer to determine the best method of training for their new hire. Here are some scenarios that will illustrate what I am talking about. DOL approved programs Does your company need a Department of Labor (DOL) approved apprenticeship program? If you don’t know, ask yourself if your company bids on prevailing- wage projects? If you answered yes, then you may want to consider a DOL apprenticeship program. This program requires 144 hours of classroom time and 2,000 hours of on-the-job experience each year. The courses that are avail- able on NTCA University can be used as related learning and count towards some of the required class- room time, but you will still need to have additional classroom time that goes into more detail than the online courses, or training in your warehouse to practice the tasks that were learned online. Contact your state or federal DOL to dis- cuss options for finisher and/or set- ter programs to determine what is best for your company. Owner-directed program What should you do if you don’t need a DOL apprenticeship pro- gram? Well, that is the great thing about NTCA University – it is entire- ly up to you as the owner. This is a flexible program you can use to create your own training schedule. You can require your employees to take all of the courses online as shown on the introductory course list on the site, or you could move courses around to meet your com- pany’s needs, or you could pick and choose based on the type NTCA UNIVERSITY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NTCA University is a useful tool to train employees and benefit your business By Becky Serbin, Training and Education coordinator 90 TileLetter | November 2017