The education market may be a little soft, but Fort Worth Electric (FWE) still found a way to make a little scholastic scratch — by teaching. Texas electricians need four hours of state-certified CEUs per year to retain their licenses, but instead of sending his staff to classes at a training agency, FWE's president, Tracy Aaron, decided to save money by getting certified to do the teaching himself. Now his competitors come to him for their annual CEUs. And he learned a few things about offering an A+ electrical ed program along the way. Take notes.
The instructor — Finding someone who can engage students in the discussion is important, so it helps if they're crazy for the Code. And instructors in Texas aren't required to have an electrical license, but Aaron says it lends credibility.
The courses — When submitting courses to the state for approval it helps to be detailed — right down to when you'll take breaks. And Texas electricians can only take any given class once, so adding new choices regularly will increase your chances of getting repeat students.
The revisions — Requirements can change without warning, so see if the state provides e-mail updates. Aaron got on the e-notification list in Texas, and it didn't take long for it to pay off — the state made a revision before he held his first class.
