CONCORD — On Wednesday January 11th at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Hall on Airport Road, NHTI and 50 members of the New Hampshire Building Officials Association honored the first six graduates of one of the school’s newest programs, the Building Inspector and Plans Examiner (BIPE) Certificate Program. The new certificate holders – four men and two women – hailed from across the Granite State: Bill Booth of Nottingham, Mike Cummings of Allenstown, Norma Ditri of Keene, Steve Martin of Concord, Dawn Michaud of Nashua, and Corey Rider of Wolfeboro.
Launched in Fall 2015, this three-semester, 18-credit-hour program prepares students to critically examine permit applications and plans for residential, commercial, and other building types, and to subsequently ensure that the construction of buildings with permits is conducted in accordance and within the provisions of relevant building codes. The program can help experienced construction workers transition into a new career, or provide the foundation of a new career for those just out of high school.
Tedd Evans, Chief Building Inspector for the City of Concord and one of the driving forces behind the new program says, “Many of the people currently working in this profession are baby boomers, and will be retiring soon. Unfortunately we’re finding it difficult to attract younger people to the profession to replace them.
“Many people now working as inspectors got into it mid-career, like I did, after working in the construction world. But we had to learn on-the-job because there was no place to get training, especially for things like construction law. NHTI’s new certificate program would put anyone – even a high school graduate with no construction experience – at the top of the list for an inspector’s position, because they would already have the theoretical knowledge required.”
The BIPE program meets in the evening, and is financial aid eligible. All courses are three credits. Students may sign up for individual courses, as well as for the certificate.
For more information about the BIPE program, visit https://www.nhti.edu/academics/programs-study/engineering-technology-programs/building-inspector-and-plans-examiner, or contact Admissions at (603) 230-4011 or nhtiadm@ccsnh.edu.
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning providing accessible, rigorous education, serving students, businesses and the community by creating pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement and civic engagement. With 95 full-time faculty and over 300 adjunct faculty, NHTI Concord’s Community College offers more than 80 academic programs to more than 7,000 students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire, and has been accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency, since 1969.
PHOTO CAPTION: Left to right: Tedd Evans, Chief Building Inspector, City of Concord and NHTI Instructor; Steve Caccia, VP of Student Affairs, NHTI; Dr. Susan Denton, President, NHTI; new graduates Bill Booth,Norma Ditri, Dawn Michaud, Corey Rider, Mike Cummings and Steve Martin; Bill McKinney, VP, NH Building Officials Association; and Bill Nash, International Code Council representative.