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Holmes at Sault College Inspection Program Kickoff


hausdok

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SooNews Staff for SooNews.ca

Monday, January 31, 2011, 9:43PM

Mike Holmes got the "rock star" treatment at Sault College Monday with hundreds packing the house to hear about the new Home Inspection Technician program with an endorsement from the popular TV personality.

“We are pleased and excited about our association with Mike Holmes in developing and endorsing our new two-year Home Inspection Technician (Co-op) diploma program, which is the first of its kind in Ontario and we are grateful to have the support of the province on this venture,â€

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I certainly hope that the program succeeds but I wonder where the motivation to enroll will come from. The legal requirements go only as far as 2 weeks, if anything. A prospective student is faced with the fact that their competition will have accumulated 2 years of experience by the time they graduate. The backing from Holmes helps but long term success of such a program depends on it's value being proven by the first grads, otherwise legislators will never notice.

Marc

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I just emailed Brad Manor over in Windsor, Ont for his thoughts about this. I read it as a little heavy on the construction trade "apprentice" type stuff.

Holmes is an ass, what can I say. I do not understand why the school president would even entertain having Holmes there for the kick-off.

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Yeah, I agree, but I've come to accept it, kind of like lots of distasteful stuff.

Woof.....we're just now on the front edge of the storm....30mph winds and snow so thick I can hardly see my garage.

Is it hitting you yet?

Check out this....current satellite....if you know how to read this, you'll appreciate just what a whopper this is. We're on the leading edge of the vorticity.

http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat ... nv=0&t=cur

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Yeah, I agree, but I've come to accept it, kind of like lots of distasteful stuff.

Woof.....we're just now on the front edge of the storm....30mph winds and snow so thick I can hardly see my garage.

Is it hitting you yet?

Check out this....current satellite....if you know how to read this, you'll appreciate just what a whopper this is. We're on the leading edge of the vorticity.

http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat ... nv=0&t=cur

That totally blows. Stay safe . . . .

(And yes, pun intended.)

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I think the idea of a proper education for inspectors is great. That course however doesn't look like a terrific medium for growing inspectors. After two years of school students will have a very basic knowledge of construction trades, making them more qualified to be jobsite labourers than home inspectors. Nowhere in the course descriptions is the Ontario Building Code mentioned; I would have thought that a couple classes in semester one would be devoted to the OBC. I know that home inspections are not code inspections, but if we're going to be inspecting the condition and construction of houses we should have at least some understanding of the rules the builders should be playing by.

As far as the Mike Holmes seal of approval: trading credibility for visibility will get more asses in more seats.

-Brad

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Very true.

Yes, it doesn't really look like an HI program as much as a vocational program. Which isn't altogether bad; there's no training in anything nowadays, and way too many HI's couldn't change out a sink trap.

I find my trade experience to be extremely valuable for providing insights to customers, but it sure as heck doesn't make me an HI.

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Does not look like we will be having Scotch and cigars in the garden today!

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I know my beloved tulips are under there - somewhere!

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Back to the topic at hand.

I have often thought about the vast amount of information I am expected to be able to access immediately or at least within a couple of hours. Several years ago I started a little phamplet of methods and materials called Sticks, Stones and Straw. I would update it every few months and when someone contributed a new material. It got out of hand within 7-8yrs because of technology and geography. I would use it while interviewing prospective inspectors. Many left my office after reading the list because they had no idea the scope of required knowledge.

For instance I have only inspected 3 heat pumps during the past 25yrs and my company has inspected maybe 5 total. There are lots of aux products that go along with heat pumps that may not be exclusive to them, but are "more" important to inspect. ie: line insulation, electrical requirements etc. I only know about heat pumps because I read, attend national classes, talk to my peers and admit I am not an expert on heat pumps. Maybe on the individual components, but not on the entire system.

My point is this business still is all about thinking and communicating. I am poor communicating with my peers and quite good with my clients. Why? My personality combined with ability to talk, converse.

I know many folks on this board, have seen them, talked with them argued with them and tricked them into buying me lunch. All present a unique appearance before they even utter a single word! Mind you they are not all the same, rather they are all different; Kurt is tall, animated drives a suv with massive display of ladders, Mike drive a smaller suv, but has an assistant, ladder and the confidence of military bearing and purpose, Scott is, well Scott is the nicest of the bunch coupled with excellent knowledge and projects a warm caring image of complete trust. Remember, I know these guys and sometimes the image is not exactly true! All are formidable characters and wonderful careful thinkers.

A classroom environment can't make a person a thinker if the emphasis is on construction (methods and materials) and nothing on keyboarding, politics, basic physics and chemistry, etc... Inspectors must be nice people that like to work with people. Think about a physician's bedside manner.

more later

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