The Ontario Recreation Facilities
Association (ORFA) introduced the Certified Ice Technician (CIT) professional
designation in 1997. This NHL-recognized credential was designed to acknowledge
the academic excellence and specialized expertise of individuals who work in
artificial ice operations. Overwhelmingly, the CIT designation has been the most
sought-after of all the ORFA professional designations. Today, close to 70% of
arenas, ice and refrigeration job postings specifically state the preference
to recruiting those individuals who hold the CIT professional designation.
Since 1997, over 800 individuals have been awarded the CIT designation. More
recently, there has been discussion and reflection, based on industry needs and
legal counsel, that to ensure these individuals remain current in industry best
practices and knowledge, that a recertification program be designed and
implemented.
Recertification is a very
common self-regulation approach taken by many professional associations seeking
to ensure its members represent the most qualified individuals within a
particular industry-sector or profession.
Recertification will help CITs update their skills and knowledge on the
latest ice and refrigeration technologies and techniques, and on current
industry information and legal requirements to ensure safe, effective and
efficient ice facilities operations. It also assists the employer to meet
the Occupational Health and Safety Act's requirement to ensure the workplace has
competent workers. Recertification will further enhance the integrity, value and
validity of the CIT professional within the recreation facility industry and
among the sport and recreation sector, government agencies and the broader
public sector.
The guiding principles for CIT recertification are to ensure the process is
appropriate, accessible, attainable and affordable for all CITs.
Effective January 1, 2010, CITs will be required to recertify every five
years. This new requirement is retroactive to January 1, 1997 and includes all
CIT recipients from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2009. Individuals will
recertify according to the following schedule:
CIT Certification Year |
CIT Recertification Year |
1997-2001 |
2010 |
2002-2004 |
2011 |
2005-2007 |
2012 |
2008 |
2013 |
2009 |
2014 |
2010 |
2015 |
Etc. |
Etc. |
- The ORFA
will contact the recertifying CIT members in the month of October of the year
prior to their recertification year. For example, CITs who obtain their
professional designation in 2010 will be required to recertify in 2015; the ORFA
will contact them in October 2014 and provide them with recertification
information for the following year.
- The CIT member has three options to recertify:
Option 1: Write the ORFA CIT Challenge
Exam
This classroom-based exam will be scheduled in March and
September at the ORFA office in Toronto and at selected regional locations
around the province, as needed. The exams will be proctored by ORFA staff and/or
selected ORFA training instructors.
To assist the challenge exam participants, the ORFA will prepare a syllabus
of subject matter topics that the participants should review prior to writing
the exam. As well, the exam writers will be encouraged to obtain the latest
version of ORFA's Refrigeration Manual: Ice Rink Applications (2007) as well as
ORFA's training manuals in Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice
Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
The exam will contain questions comparable to the exams in the original three
courses (Basic Refrigeration; Ice Making and Painting Technologies; Ice
Maintenance and Equipment Operations). The exam fee will be $125.00 plus
applicable taxes.
If the member fails the CIT Challenge Exam, he/she will have the option to
rewrite the CIT Challenge Exam, at the same fee, or register to participate in
the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or online) and complete that final
exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she
will be required to re-take the three CIT certification courses: Basic
Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and
Equipment Operations.
Option 2: Take the ORFA CIT Recertification Course
(classroom-based)
This course will provide a comprehensive review of
information contained in the original three courses (Basic Refrigeration; Ice
Making and Painting Technologies; Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations) as
well as highlight updated best practices. The course will include a final exam.
The course will be taught over a two-day period. Participants will be required
to prepare pre-course work so that time in class may be spent on more advanced
subject matter. The recertification course will be offered in the spring at the
Annual Professional Development Program held at the University of Guelph.
Regional offerings will be considered, as required.
The registration fee for the classroom-based course will be $370.00 plus
applicable taxes.
If the member fails the CIT Recertification Course (classroom-based), he/she
will have the option to re-take the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or
online), at the same fee, and re-write the exam or choose to write the CIT
Challenge Exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then
he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT certification courses: Basic
Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and
Equipment Operations.
Option 3: Take the ORFA CIT Recertification Course
(online)
This course, developed in partnership with the Office of
Open Learning, University of Guelph, will mirror the information presented in
the classroom-based course and include a final exam. The course will be
approximately three weeks long and will be facilitated online by an ORFA content
expert. The online course will be made available in the fall of each year.
The registration fee for the online course will be $495.00 plus applicable
taxes.
If the member fails the CIT Recertification Course (online), he/she
will have the option to re-take the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or
online), at the same fee, and re-write the exam or choose to write the CIT
Challenge Exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then
he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT certification courses:
Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance
and Equipment Operations.
The
information used to create the CIT Challenge Exam and presented in the CIT
Recertification Course (classroom-based and online) will address the subject
matter at the same level of intensity and scrutiny as the information presented
in the original three courses. As such, the recertification information
will:
- Review current theory, advanced principles and best practices
- Present the latest in technologies, techniques, tools
- Review legal liabilities and responsibilities
- Test to measure the skills and knowledge to work competently as an ice
technician professional.
If a CIT fails to
recertify within the allotted time frame, a notice will be sent reminding the
individual of his/her professional requirement. The individual will be provided
a grace period extending to the next offering of the CIT Challenge Exam or the
CIT Recertification Course (classroom-based or online). Failing to act on the
notice, the individual will be advised that his/her CIT professional designation
will be suspended and will not be reinstated until he/she writes the CIT
Challenge Exam or successfully completes the CIT Recertification Course
(classroom-based or online). Until that time, the individual is not permitted to
represent himself/herself as a Certified Ice Technician. During the suspension
period, the individual must maintain his/her individual membership with the
ORFA.
Please contact:
Sharon Dias, Administrative Assistant
Ontario Recreation Facilities
Association
1 Concorde Gate, Suite 102, Toronto, Ontario M3C 3N6
tel:
(416) 426-7299 fax: (416) 426-7385 email: admin@orfa.com