Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Certification Update...
Today, Tom Brahms updated the International Board on the status of the upcoming certification exams:

"At six sites on March 24, 2007 we will have 178 persons sitting for one of the four exams this surpasses the prior record date of October 2001 when 174 sat for the PTOE exam. For the first offering of the Professional Transportation Planner certification exam we have 76.

"A concerted effort will be made between now and the October 2007 multi-site TPCB PTOE/PTP/TSOS/ TOPS Exams to increase the number of applicants for all TPCB certifications but especially of TSOS and TOPS.

"From my perspective 2007 will be a successful year if we end it as follows:
Certificate Program_____ #Applicants 2007 _____End of Year # certificants
______PTOE________________ 300 __________________2,000
_______PTP________________ 250____________________ 175
______TSOS ________________ 200 ___________________ 150
______TOPS ________________130 ____________________100

"To reach these numbers I need your help. Talk up these opportunities. Talk up the training that is available for PTOE, TSOS and TOPS. Encourage the ITE sections to hold sessions around the refresher courses (many did so with the PTOE refresher courses and were able to provide a useful member service). For each of these programs the refresher course has a MS PowerPoint slide set with instructor notes (available from ITE Headquarters for $25.) and an accompanying reference (available for purchase from ITE Headquarters with discounts available for quantity purchases). ITE through the ITE Educational Foundation has scheduled these refresher courses as web seminars. Further we have recorded the audio and visuals for the refresher courses and they may be used on a self instructional basis. These will be available within the next two weeks. There will be a single disk for each certification program and they will be priced at $125 for each program. The user may go through the refresher courses at their own pace and repeat sections as necessary. We also have a practice exam available on line for a nominal fee of $10.

"A brochure will be produced in April to promote this material as well as the four certification programs.

"We have come a long way since January 1999 (the first offering of the PTOE exam) and we can and will make similar progress on all of the certification programs.

"On Friday, April 20, 2007 immediately following a two day TPCB Strategic Advance in Annapolis, MD there will be a workshop to define the audience, subject domains and the format of a transportation safety certification program. These are exciting times workings of the TPCB.

"Special thanks goes to Brian Bochner and Steve Gayle for the considerable effort that they contributed to getting questions prepared and reviewed, for their active participation in the exam assembly and subsequent reviews prior to the launching of the Professional Transportation Planner exam. Their efforts have made it possible for the 76 persons to take the PTP exam on March 24th. And by the way the 76 compares with 104 that sat for the PTOE exam in January 1999. This bodes well for the future of the PTP certification."

-- 03/14/07 e-mail from Thomas W. Brahms, Executive Director and CEO, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Transportation Professionals Certification Board

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