Residential building contractor continuing education

Information for course sponsors

Coordinator approval requirements and application
EDUCATION SPONSORS: Minnesota Statute 326B.821, Subd.8 requires that each course of study have at least one approved course coordinator. The course coordinator is responsible for overseeing the sponsor's license education program and assuring compliance with all the laws and rules governing continuing education. Continuing education sponsors may also apply for approval of an additional coordinator to act as an assistant coordinator or emergency substitute coordinator if necessary. Each coordinator must be approved and on file with the Department of Labor and Industry. The coordinator application fee is $100. Each applicant must include with the application, a current resume outlining employment and education experience.

IMPORTANT NOTE -
Read all information below the application/form links before attempting to complete any application/form.

Continuing education forms:

Continuing Education Sponsor Approval Application

Course Approval Application Contractor Continuing Education

Continuing Education Notice of Subsequent Offering

An education coordinator must meet one of these three qualifications:

At least three years of full-time experience in the administration of an education program during the five-year period immediately before the date of application;
A degree in education plus two years of experience during the immediately preceding five-year period in one of the regulated industries for which courses are being approved; or
A minimum of five years of experience within the previous six years in the regulated industry for which courses are held.

The responsibilities of a coordinator specifically include:

Ensuring compliance with all laws and rules relating to continuing educational offerings;
Ensuring students are provided with current and accurate information;
Supervising and evaluating courses and instructors;
Ensuring instructors are qualified to teach the course offering;
Furnishing the commissioner, upon request, with copies of course evaluations;
Ensuring classroom facilities are conducive to a learning environment;
Investigating complaints related to course offerings or instructors;
Maintaining accurate records relating to course offerings, instructors, tests taken by students if required, and student attendance for a period of three years from the date on which the course was completed.
Ensuring that the coordinator is available to instructors and students throughout course offerings;
Attending workshops or instructional programs as reasonably required by the commissioner;
Providing course completion certificates within ten days of, but NOT BEFORE completion of the entire course;
Notifying the commissioner in writing within ten days of any change in the information in an application for approval on file with the commissioner.

Prohibited practices for coordinators and instructors

Recommend or promote the services or practices of a particular business;
Encourage or recruit individuals to engage the services of, or become associated with, a particular business or entity;
Use materials, clothing, or other evidences of affiliation with a particular entity;
Require students to participate in other programs or services offered by the instructor, coordinator, or sponsor;
Attempt, either directly or indirectly, to discover questions or answers on an examination for a license;
Disseminate to any other person specific questions, problems, or information known or believed to be included in licensing examinations;
Fail to cover, or ensure coverage of, all points, issues and concepts contained in the approved course;
Coordinators and instructors shall not misrepresent any information submitted to the commissioner;
Issue inaccurate course completion certificates;

NOTE: Coordinators must notify the Commissioner of Labor and Industry within 10 days of a felony or gross misdemeanor conviction or of disciplinary action taken against an occupational or professional license held by the coordinator or any instructor teaching an approved course

Course approval requirements

Complete a Course Approval Application Contractor Continuing Education form (fill-in PDF).
The course approval application fee is $10 for each credit hour or fraction of an hour applied for.
The completed application and fee must be submitted to the Department of Labor and Industry at least 30 days prior to the initial offering of the course.
A detailed course schedule must be included with each application. Coffee and lunch breaks must be identified on the schedule.
Attach a copy of the course curriculum (either printed or on disc), the instructor's evaluation form that will be completed by the course attendees, and a copy of the completion certificate that will be used as evidence of attendance.
Attach a copy of proposed advertising, including any course outline that will be used to advertise the course. The number of approved hours must be clearly and accurately displayed on any advertisement. If the course offering is longer than the number of approved continuing education hours, any advertisement must be clear that continuing education credit is not earned for the entire course. Courses may not be advertised before approval is granted, unless the application has already been submitted to the Department of Labor and Industry and the course is described in the advertising as "approval pending."
The coordinator must notify the Department of Labor and Industry in writing within 10 days of any change in the information provided in the application for approval, including any addition or change in the name(s) of instructors who will teach the course, course title, etc. Note: A change in course curriculum will be considered a new course and will require a new application for course approval and the appropriate fees.
Continuing education consists of courses that impart knowledge that is appropriate and related to the residential building contractor industry.
NOTE: The burden of demonstrating that courses impart appropriate knowledge related to the residential building contractor industry is upon the person seeking approval or credit.
Continuing education credit will NOT be approved for the following:
- Courses designed solely to prepare students for a license examination;
- Courses in mechanical office or business skills including typing, speed reading or other machines or equipment;
- Courses in sales promotion including meetings held in conjunction with the general business of the licensee;
- Courses in motivation, salesmanship, psychology, time management, or communication; or
- Courses that are primarily intended to impart knowledge of specific products of specific companies if the use of the product or products relates to the sales, promotion or marketing of one or more of the products discussed.
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 326B.821, Subd. 10, each continuing education course must have qualified instructor(s).

Instructor qualifications for continuing education are as follows:

a four-year degree in any area, plus two years of practical experience in the subject area being taught;
five years of practical experience in the subject area being taught; or
a college or graduate degree in the subject area being taught.

Approved instructors are responsible for:
- Compliance with all laws and rules relating to continuing education;
- Providing students with current and accurate information;
- Maintaining an atmosphere conducive to learning in the classroom;
- Verifying attendance of students, and certifying course completion;
- Providing assistance to students and responding to questions relating to course materials; and
- Attending the workshops or instructional programs that are required by the commissioner.
- Failing to use only qualified instructors to teach an approved course will result in the loss of course approval.
Failing to use only qualified instructors to teach an approved course will result in the loss of course approval

Subsequent course offerings (exactly the same course with the same instructor which was offered by the course sponsor at an earlier date)

Complete the Continuing Education Notice of Subsequent Offering form
A fee is not required for subsequent course offering of an identical continuing education course. However, you must complete the Continuing Education Notice of Subsequent Offering form and submit this form to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry at least 30 days prior to the subsequent course offering date identified in the notice.
Attach a copy of the original class schedule submitted with the original course approval application.
Attach a copy of proposed advertising, including any course outline that will be used when advertising the course.
If the subsequent course offering is instructed by anyone other than the original course instructor, the new course instructor's resume must accompany the Continuing Education Notice of Subsequent Offering form.
Approval will not be granted for subsequent course offering if the course is not identical to the original course or if it is determined not to be in compliance with the laws or rules relating to course approval.
The Commissioner shall deny future offerings of courses if they are found not to be in compliance with the laws regulating course approval.