New National Guideline Standards for Apprenticeship

DALLAS – The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) has new standards that have been approved by the US Department of Labor (DOL) and Office of Apprenticeship (OA).

The National Guideline Standards of Apprenticeship are programs that are recognized by OA on a national basis and consist of occupational standards which: (1) are developed and sponsored by an employer, national trade or industry organization, labor organization, educational institution, or consortium; (2) are demonstrably national or multi-State in their design, suitability, and scope based on consideration of the National Program Standards criteria (detailed below); and (3) comply with the regulatory requirements contained in 29 CFR Part 29 and 29 CFR Part 30.

“The approval of AFSA’s National Guideline Standards is a great first step in ensuring our members have the tools necessary to recruit, train, and retain a well-qualified workforce to build their businesses and our industry. Combined with AFSA’s new Virtual Classroom, we have entered a new era in delivering the best sprinkler fitter training program available,” says Bob Caputo, AFSA president. “This program allows our members large and small, who did not have a formal training program to get into the game. It also allows those members who were administering their own program to use AFSA staff as a resource to assist in their apprenticeship programs.  We can provide the classroom part, while the members provide the On-the-Job Training part. This is the game-changer our members have been waiting for!”

AFSA’s National Guideline Standards (NGS) can be adopted by members seeking their own registered program. In order to do so, contact your regional DOL staff and indicate your program will be based on the AFSA NGS.

The newly approved AFSA National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards also serve as a guide AFSA’s apprentice training, meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor for apprenticeship standards, and are recognized as a part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Program. The establishment of local apprenticeship programs based on these standards will provide a skilled and versatile workforce through an organized and properly supervised program of classroom instruction, hands-on experience, and expert training.

Updated Materials & Options

AFSA’s apprentice training is offering newly updated training materials for 2023. The newly updated curriculum includes Core – Introduction to Basic Construction Skills, Sixth Edition, and Sprinkler Fitting – Levels 1-4, Fourth Edition. The sprinkler fitting documents in their fourth edition are correlated with the 2019 edition (level 1-2) or 2022 edition (level 3-4) of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.

AFSA now offers its Virtual Instruction Program (VIP), to accompany apprentices’ On-the-Job Learning (OJL) provided by the employer. Each level of instruction involves 20 lessons provided over 10 months. Education incorporates live webinar sessions, videos, performance tasks, written assignments, self-study, and tests. The guided instruction gives apprentices access to industry experts in the webinar sessions and through the learning management system.

Upon completion of each level’s material, a certificate will be issued that will indicate the requirements have been successfully finished for the administered level.

Additionally, AFSA is planning to add elective or optional education areas that can readily be adopted by contractors working in jurisdictions that require additional OJT and accompanying education.

For more information on AFSA’s apprentice training, visit firesprinkler.org/apprentice-training-tier-1/. For details on AFSA’s Virtual Instruction Program (VIP), visit firesprinkler.org/sprinkler-apprentice-training/.

Questions? Email training@firesprinkler.org.