ADN WINTER 2022_WEB

More documents

Recommendations

Info

achievement that demonstrate a basic mastery of the knowledge and applied skills needed by the detailing professional. Certified Detailers have not only demonstrated competency, but they have also shown determination and commitment in completing the certification process. The pride of earning these designations places a detailing professional among a group at the top of their profession. Consumers can have confidence in the quality of service they are receiving when working with a Certified Detailer. Phase I in the IDA Certification process consists of 10 exams, in these subject areas: Equipment, Chemicals, Glass, Interior Detailing, Leather, Paint Correction & Protection, Wheels & Tires, Prep Wash/Wash Bay, Detailing Terminology, and Safety & Compliance. Phase II is for those who have successfully completed Phase I, and it represents the four primary categories that each candidate must demonstrate their “hands on” ability to perform: Wash Bay/Prep, Interior, Exterior Correction, and Finishing Steps. Phase II testing demonstrates hands-on skills and consists of in-person testing conducted by an IDA Recognized Independent Trainer (RIT) in a scenario-type format, which affords the detailer the opportunity to demonstrate the abilities expected of the advanced detailing professional. How Can Detailers Become IDA Certified? There are currently two paths available to become a Certified Detailer: 1) taking the Phase I exams online or 2) attending an in-person event hosted by an RIT and taking the exams onsite. Each of the 10 exams must be passed with a score of 80% or higher. The online exams can be completed anytime, anywhere, as long as the detailer has access to the internet. This makes it easy for anyone around the world to take the exams when it is most convenient for them. The IDA recognizes, though, that just because the exams have been available to anyone, that does not mean they have been accessible to everyone – primarily due to language barriers. Until now, the online exams have only been available in English, using U.S. terminology. Of course, as an international organization, many of the IDA’s members are non-native English speakers, and thus inherently are at a disadvantage when taking the exams in English. Only onethird of the current Certified Detailers are international. As the IDA continues to increase its global presence, it is vital to make the exams as accessible to as many international detailers as possible. With that in mind, the IDA is currently working to offer the exams in five additional languages: Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, along with an English version using U.K. terminology. The aim is to have these translations all available online by the end of 2022 or early 2023. Looking to the future, the IDA anticipates the need to offer the exams in many more languages to correspond with continued global growth and will continue to make them available on the IDA website. Since hands-on Skills Validated exams can currently only be administered in person by a Recognized Independent Trainer, it is a bit more challenging for detailers outside the U.S. or U.K. to earn the SV designation. There are currently 804 Skills Validated Detailers worldwide, with just over a quarter of them located outside the United States and United Kingdom. This closely correlates with the current make-up of RITs: out of the 50 active RITs, less than onefourth of them are in countries outside the U.S. and U.K. The IDA knows that an increase in RITs outside of these two locations will result in an increase in SV designations, which is why the IDA Certification Committee has made it an 10 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 4 • WINTER 2022
ongoing goal to actively recruit non-U.S. trainers to become RITs. Over half of the RITs to earn the designation in 2022 alone have been non-U.S.-based. Their efforts have been reflected with certification events being held this year for the first time in countries such as Bulgaria, Poland, the Philippines, Germany (in conjunction with Automechanika Frankfurt), and Italy (in conjunction with Autopromotec). Additionally, in 2021, the IDA established Global SV Week – a weeklong event during which all RITs around the world are encouraged to hold a Skills Validation event. During the 2nd annual event this year, a total of 24 detailers earned their SV designation. To further grow the availability of SV testing globally, the IDA Certification Committee is working to develop alternative digital evaluation opportunities, which will be announced in the near future. What Other IDA Certifications Are Available? Beyond CD and SV, the IDA has also recently begun offering specialty certifications for detailing professionals who demonstrate expertise in certain subspecialties. The first of these, Marine Certification (CD, MC), was introduced at the beginning of 2020. There are five exams in the series: Interior & Vinyl Care, Paint & Fiberglass, Safety & Environmental, Terminology, and Wood Trim, Metal & Brightwork. Those who earn the Marine Certified designation have exhibited the specific knowledge needed to properly care for vessels in marine environments, and they understand the intricacies that distinguish marine detailing from other forms of detailing. Just like with Phase I (CD) exams, marine exams are offered online or at in-person events. The online exams are currently available in English and will soon be available in Portuguese as well. The IDA Certification Committee is working with a task force to finalize the Motorcycle Certification exams and hopes to make them available online by early 2023. After that, the committee will turn its attention to developing the next specialty certification for Recreational Vehicles (RVs). How Do I Maintain my Certification Status? Once a detailer is certified, ongoing certification maintenance is required for Certified Detailers at each level. To maintain certification, CDs must complete eight hours of detailing-related continuing education and pay a recertification fee every two years. For Marine Certified detailers, two of those eight hours must be on topics specifically related to marine detailing. This continuing education requirement ensures that all those holding the title of Certified Detailer are keeping up to date with the latest detailing skills, tools, and advances in technology. There are numerous ways to go about earning continuing education credits, including attending the IDA’s monthly webinar series, watching recordings in the IDA’s ever-growing webinar library, and attending detailing educational sessions at tradeshows like Mobile Tech Expo or the Southern Detailers Conference. Additionally, the IDA will be offering its first ever International Education Day on February 15, 2023, which will feature webinars and educational content throughout the day presented in eight different languages. If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about the IDA Certification Program, visit the IDA website at the-ida.com/Certification or send an email to: info@the-ida.com. Legend Ad Auto Detailing News.pdf 1 5/24/21 5:12 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K LEGEND A Premium Coating Experience psdetailproducts.com VOL. 7, NO.4 • WINTER 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 11
Page 2 and 3: CLEARLY UNBREAKABLE DIAMOND PLATE®
Page 4 and 5: FINANCIAL TIP What is the 504 loan
Page 6 and 7: DETAIL DOCTOR When it’s time to r
Page 8 and 9: IDA CORNER Learn the Ins and Outs o
Page 12 and 13: MTE Mobile Tech Expo is just around
Page 14: 2023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS *All events
Page 17 and 18: Secret Service returns $286 million
Page 19 and 20: TM EVERYTHING YOU’LL EVER NEED WI
Page 21 and 22: What is the name of your business?
Page 24 and 25: Offer An They Can’t Refuse AUTOMO
Page 26 and 27: Overhead vs. Expenses To understand
Page 28: YOUR RELIABLE SUPPLIER FOR THE DETA

ADN WINTER 2022_WEB

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?