Remember when you were back in high school and you dreamed about the days when you’d never have to set foot in a classroom anymore?
Perhaps that was one reason why you first considered getting your Massachusetts construction supervisor license (CSL). After all, you could prepare for the licensing exam on your own time without having to sit in class, and also complete all of your continuing education requirements online.
Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case.
You may not have liked school, but you were pretty adorable back then.
License Renewal Changes for the New Year
As you probably know, there’s a mandatory number of continuing education credits that you must obtain every two years before you can renew your CSL. In the past, that meant signing up for an online course, completing the curriculum when you had time and when your schedule permitted, and submitting your documentation to the state.
But as of January 1, 2018, you’ll have to alter your license renewal routine a bit. That’s because the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) has implemented changes to this process. Going forward, CSL holders can only submit a maximum of six continuing education credits that were obtained online. The remaining required hours must be earned – you guessed it – from an in-classroom course.
Going Back to Class
More specifically, this means that anyone in Massachusetts who has an unrestricted CSL must receive at least six hours of in-classroom instruction to fulfill their continuing education requirement for license renewal. For restricted CSL holders, a minimum of four of their continuing education credits must be obtained from an in-class provider. This change does not affect specialty CSL holders, who can still complete all six hours of their continuing education online.
As in previous years, the BBRS dictates what topics must be included in the continuing education courses for both unrestricted and restricted CSLs in order to qualify for license renewal. Here is the breakdown:
- 4 hours of Code Review
- 1 hour of Business Practices/Workers Compensation
- 1 hour of Workplace Safety
- 1 hour of Lead Safe Practices
- 1 hour of Energy
The remaining educational credits can cover any other qualifying subject matter.
How to Simplify the Transition
Now, here’s the good news: Massachusetts Contractors Academy can help you make this transition much easier.
Massachusetts Contractors Academy is offering hybrid continuing education courses for construction supervisor licensees. These programs fulfill the new BBRS requirements by dividing the curriculum into two parts: a six-hour classroom course and a six-hour online course.
Here’s how it works: CSL holders can go to the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License Continuing Education page of 247Mass.com to view the upcoming hybrid courses that are listed. Usually, there will be several options available each month, with the classroom portion of the curriculum offered on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. All classes run from 8 am to 2 pm and take place either at the Courtyard Marriott Natick or the Courtyard Marriott Raynham.
It won’t be this hard. We promise.
Once you identify the hybrid course option that best fits your schedule, you can add it to your online cart, fill out the payment information, and submit your order. That’s all you need to do to register! You’ll receive an email with a link that lets you access the online portion of the course; and as before, you can complete that portion of the program at your own pace. You’ll also be automatically enrolled in the classroom course on the date that you selected; all you have to do is show up at the scheduled time and place.
It’s true that the new rules requiring in-classroom instruction might necessitate some tweaks to your schedule over the next several weeks. But Massachusetts Contractors Academy will do everything possible to make you CSL renewal process as smooth and painless as it can be.
See how you can take our Construction Supervisor License classes for free.