I was somewhat encouraged a few years back when Va/DPOR started requiring code update courses to renew your tradesman license. But I have always been appalled by the fact Virginia law requires a license to perform this work yet it is not enforced at the tradesman level. A manicurst, barber or lawyer MUST have a displayed license to perform their trades. I have attended public DPOR meetings in the past where Director Olsen disagreed with me on the license issues. The skilled trades pamphlets in the DPOR office all proclaim on the back of each pamphlet that you must have a license to do this type work. Mr. Olsen says, " a non-licensed electrician must be under the direct supervision of a licensed tradesman". This is where the first concern arises because there are thousands of workers out there performing electrical work in our businesses and home construction that are unlicensed and unsupervised. Direct supervision is not the licensed guy of a business riding around in an SUV on the cell phone looking to get more jobs.You can go to any house you see being wired and find that the person wiring the house is unlicensed unless it is a small business where the actual owner is wiring the house and is licensed. For example, large companies like Smith & Keene have hundreds of guys wiring houses every day without a license or direct supervision.  A licensed barber shop owner cannot let unlicensed people cut hair in his shop when he is not in the shop or away on vacation etc.

Where DPOR and the state of Virginia really make the huge mistakes are the amount of revenue capability lost by not enforcing their own WRITTEN laws in place. Millions would be generated by requiring licenses for the 4 skilled construction trades. Not to mention ensuring the Virginia skilled workforce is trained, re-trained and licensed. The citizens of Virginia should have actual licensed workers or supervised apprentices wiring their businesses and homes. I've always said that my Va. State Masters License is of no value at all unless I want to become a business owner. Having to pay for code upgrade requirements is rediculous for a tradesman in a state where the license law is not enforced. I spoke to a compliance investigator that proclaimed "99% of all cases brought before the board are contractors not tradesmen". He also said "we don't have enough revenue to hire additional investigators to enfore the tradesman laws".

I think it is VERY unfair to pay for a tradesman license and continued education requirements just so I can pay for the license again when the license is not enforced. I implore you to REQUIRE a license or Apprenticeship to do the skilled trades work in the state of Virginia and REQUIRE the continued education requirements you are planning to do away with. It has never been fair to people who obey the DPOR laws. Hopefully before you do away the the continuing education requiements, you will think about the revenue lost by the non-enforcement of the law already in place. Overall it is only izing the skilled trades industries and weaking Virginias education and skill levels in the name of corporate profits. I like so many other license holders will not continue to pay for a worthless peice of paper in my wallet.