Everblue, a nationally recognized educational technology company, has produced 25 training videos for the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Division of Energy Resources. The resulting Crew Leader Badges Toolkit supplements the Installer Badges Toolkit created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).

In 2018, DOE reorganized its Home Energy Professionals (HEP) certification program. During this review, the scheme committee decided to discontinue the HEP Retrofit Installer Technician Certification. Instead, the Retrofit Installer Technician tasks were broken into 25 training modules, or badges, designed to provide a convenient, standardized, and voluntary approach to training and skills recognition for WAP implementers, utility programs, private-sector workers, and contractors.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Division of Energy Resources runs the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program and contracted with Everblue to develop a similar badging toolkit specific to the HEP Crew Leader designation. The program, called the Weatherization Installer Badges, provides a consistent and scalable education program for the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

“The tasks associated with the HEP Crew Leader destination were broken up into 25 training modules that can each be done in 15-30 minutes,” said Chris Boggiano, Everblue president. “It’s structured so that all of the work is done online, can be completed from a smartphone, and doesn’t require any travel.”

As with the Installer Badges Toolkit, the Crew Leader Badges provide a consistent approach to training, by ensuring that crew leaders throughout Minnesota are learning the same skills.

Each badge contains the following:

• A short video showing how to properly perform a task (e.g. seal & insulate knee walls, air seal ducted distribution systems, etc.)
• A 5-question quiz
• A Quality Control Inspector (QCI) professional signs off that the crew member performed the task in the field
• A list of relevant external reference materials
• A badge/certificate for the crew member once everything is complete

Since 2008, Everblue has offered home performance training to over 70,000 building shell professionals across the country. Its master instructors, Anthony Ericksen and Bruce Oxendale, have worked in the building science field for a combined 30 years, both with specialties in cold-climate housing stocks similar to Minnesota. Anthony is also a professional actor and videographer with expert experience in creating online training modules.

For more information about Everblue’s Crew Leader Badges program, contact Chris Boggiano at 800-460-2575.