NCLBGC Requirements:
General Statute 87-10.2 states that North Carolina licensed general contractors will be required to complete continuing education (CE) beginning with 2021 license renewals.
- 8 hours of CE must be completed in order to renew a license by at least one qualifier for licensees in the license classifications of Building, Residential and Unclassified. For the Unclassified license, it shall be the qualifier who has passed the Building examination.
- The 8-hour course requirement includes a mandatory 2-hour course produced by the Board with information about changes in the laws and rules and other content applicable to general contracting.
- The remaining 6 hours will be elective courses produced by outside providers, submitted to and approved by the Board. We will be offering NCBI designation courses.
NCLBGC Update: January 20, 2021
Effective January 20, 2021, exercising the authority granted by HB 1105, the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (Board) authorizes Board-approved providers of continuing education for general contractors to deliver continuing education courses pursuant to §87-10.2, by e-learning online, live instruction, as state and local COVID-19 restrictions allow pursuant to §87- 10.2(d), or, by synchronous distance-learning instruction defined as follows:
(a) Board-approved continuing education providers may offer synchronous distance-learning instruction for Board-approved continuing education elective courses. “Synchronous distance learning instruction” means the Board-approved instructor and students are separated only by distance and not time, allowing for real-time monitoring of student attendance and participation.
(b) Board-approved continuing education providers may offer synchronous distance-learning instruction for the Board-approved 2-hour Mandatory Course taught by an instructor authorized by the Board to teach the 2-hour Mandatory Course.
(c) All other provisions pursuant to N.C.G.S. 87-10.2 and 21 NCAC 12B, for continuing education shall remain in effect.
(d) This authorization shall be in effect until November 30, 2021.
The following are the minimum requirements/guidelines for the implementation of synchronous learning:
- Synchronous learning may be implemented on any synchronous distance platform the provider chooses (WebEx, Zoom, GoToMeeting, as examples); however, the platform must have a video component so the students can see the materials being discussed/presented, as well as see the instructor in real-time engagement. The instructor must be a Board-approved instructor.
- The technology and equipment required for a student to reliably access the synchronous learning platform selected by the provider must be clearly communicated to the student at the time of course registration
- At a minimum, this includes:
- A computer or other device with camera and microphone capabilities (student connection via cell phone is not allowed)
- Broadband internet access with a strong internet connection capable of maintaining connectivity
- Software requirements (i.e., operating system, browser, etc.) •
- At a minimum, this includes:
- All attendance requirements are in effect and required for successful synchronous distance learning course completion. It is the responsibility of the provider to make certain the student qualifiers who are certified as having completed the course met all necessary attendance requirements which includes:
- A check-in process and valid roster of registered student qualifiers are essential. The check-in process for synchronous learning will take time, providers will need to open their online classroom and allow time for all student qualifiers to check-in before the official start of the course no different from a check-in for a traditional in-person classroom course.
- Providers shall have one dedicated proctor to monitor each screen of no more than 25 students as a requirement for each SDL class, not including the instructor, to manage check-in procedures, to monitor cameras to confirm 100% student qualifier participation, and to manage chat functions/questions.
- Any student qualifier who loses connection, or goes off camera, for more than 10 minutes shall be disconnected from the course and informed he/she will not receive credit for the class.
- Monitors shall disconnect and refuse course credit to any student qualifier who is participating in dangerous, offensive, or distracting behavior while on camera.