Virtual Training Strategies
CHAPTERS GONE VIRAL:
VIRTUAL TRAINING STRATEGIES By Mark Goodman,ACI, and Hollis Brown ACI
ASHI Certified Inspector, ASHI Director and St. Louis ASHI Chapter Past-President Brewer Inspection Services, Manchester, MO, mark@homeinspectstl.com
Hollis Brown has more than 35 years of residential construction and home inspector-related experience. He is the owner and operator of the Home Inspector Training Academy in Arlington, VA.
E
verything has changed in today’s world with the advent of COVID-19. Chapters and meeting groups can no longer offer in-person monthly meetings, and conferences have taken an especially hard hit. Educational events, peer reviews, seminars and conferences have been postponed and, in many cases, canceled altogether. Although a few chapters have started, again, to have in-person meetings, many have not. In April, ASHI launched the online education expo in response to the shutdowns, offering more than 45 webinars. This outreach helped many members get continuing education (CE) and meet their CE requirements when much of the country was shut down. More than 5,500 home inspectors have attended the webinars, which were made available to members and non-members free of charge. Some states do not accept virtual training to meet CE requirements for licenses. Continuing education is not just about meeting the minimum requirements. Training has intrinsic value, regardless of state requirements. Some states may reverse their position on virtual training. ASHI’s Member Relations Committee, therefore, encourages chapters in those states to continue their educational programs regardless of the state’s position. 32
ASHI Reporter • OCTOBER 2020
ASHI, many chapters and meeting groups have made a concerted effort to offer many virtual training opportunities so that ASHI members can meet their CE requirements; however, there is more to be done. ASHI’s network of more than 66 chapters has been providing quality, value-based education since ASHI’s founding. During these difficult times, the Member Relations Committee (MRC) encourages ASHI’s flagship chapters to develop a big-shoulders approach. Our larger chapters are well suited to assist smaller chapters by providing guidance on chapter operations, meetings, website, and technical issues and educational offerings. Programs like these could help revitalize some of our chapters that struggle to increase membership and attendance.
Opportunities for interchapter collaboration can thrive. Chapters and meeting groups near one another could share resources to put on more, bigger and better educational events and training programs.
