The Virginia tradesman continuing education program is an integral part of the construction industry in the Commonwealth. In terms of building safety, no one organization, agency or group of stakeholders exists in a vacuum and it takes everyone working together to maintain Virginia's reputation as a leader in the industry. Likewise, The Board for Contractors must acknowledge its role which is to maintain and protect this important program for the good of all Virginia citizens. Nowhere in House Bill 1645 is it stated the Board should eliminate the continuing education program and there are most certainly alternative ways of reducing the burden on tradesmen and small business other than what's currently being proposed.

Throughout this debate, I've heard no alternatives discussed which makes me wonder if the Board has even considered other ways of meeting the mandate set forth in HB 1645. It's also unclear the reasons which have been provided for eliminating the program are based on any verifiable facts and the evidence set forth in the current agency statement seems anecdotal at best. Has the Board actually conducted an in depth review of the facts provided  by DPOR or are they content to just take what they've been told at face value and proceed with abandoning this important educational program at the risk to the safety of Virginia's citizens?

There's an underlying implication that tradesmen do not want the CE program to remain in effect yet almost no one who's commenting has voiced their agreement with the current proposal. At what point does the Board acknowledge the majority view and act accordingly? The fact is the majority of small businesses who employ Virginia tradesmen, as well as the tradesmen themselves, are not against continuing education but they are simply asking for a higher quality of training and more educational opportunities to choose from.

I assert that all stakeholders impacted by this proposal should challenge the Board to re-evaluate the facts and provide the public with alternatives to reduce the regulatory burden without completely eliminating this important continuing education program which would clearly place the health, safety, and welfare of all Virginia citizens at risk.