The Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA) introduced the Certified Ice Technician (CIT) professional designation in 1997. This NHL-recognized credential was designed to acknowledge the academic excellence and specialized expertise of individuals who work in artificial ice operations. Overwhelmingly, the CIT designation has been the most sought-after of all the ORFA professional designations. Today, close to 70% of arenas, ice and refrigeration job postings specifically state the preference to recruiting those individuals who hold the CIT professional designation.
Since 1997, over 800 individuals have been awarded the CIT designation. More recently, there has been discussion and reflection, based on industry needs and legal counsel, that to ensure these individuals remain current in industry best practices and knowledge, that a recertification program be designed and implemented.
Recertification is a very common self-regulation approach taken by many professional associations seeking to ensure its members represent the most qualified individuals within a particular industry-sector or profession.
Recertification will help CITs update their skills and knowledge on the latest ice and refrigeration technologies and techniques, and on current industry information and legal requirements to ensure safe, effective and efficient ice facilities operations. It also assists the employer to meet the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s requirement to ensure the workplace has competent workers. Recertification will further enhance the integrity, value and validity of the CIT professional within the recreation facility industry and among the sport and recreation sector, government agencies and the broader public sector.
The guiding principles for CIT recertification are to ensure the process is appropriate, accessible, attainable and
affordable for all CITs.
Effective January 1, 2010, CITs will be required to recertify every five years. This new requirement is retroactive to January 1, 1997 and includes all CIT recipients from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2009. Individuals will recertify according to the following schedule:
| CIT Certification Year |
CIT Recertification Year |
|
1997-2001
|
2010
|
|
2002-2004
|
2011
|
|
2005-2007
|
2012
|
|
2008
|
2013
|
|
2009
|
2014
|
|
2010
|
2015
|
|
Etc.
|
Etc.
|
- The ORFA will contact the recertifying CIT members in the month of December in the year prior to their recertification year. For example, CITs who obtained their professional designation in 2011 will be required to recertify in 2016; the ORFA will contact them in December 2015 and provide them with recertification information for the following year.
- The CIT member has three options to recertify:
Option 1: Write the ORFA CIT Challenge Exam
This classroom-based, two hour exam will be scheduled throughout the year at selected regional locations around the province.
To assist the challenge exam participants, the ORFA has prepared a syllabus of subject matter topics (available at www.orfa.com/citsyllabus) that the participants should review prior to writing the exam. As well, the exam writers will be encouraged to obtain the latest version of ORFA’s Refrigeration Manual: Ice Rink Applications (2007) as well as ORFA’s training manuals in Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
The exam will contain questions comparable to the exams in the original three courses (Basic Refrigeration; Ice Making and Painting Technologies; Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations).
If the member fails the CIT Challenge Exam, he/she will have the option to rewrite the CIT Challenge Exam, at the same fee, or register to participate in the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or online) and complete that final exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT certification courses: Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
Option 2: Take the ORFA CIT Recertification Course (classroom-based)
This course will provide a comprehensive review of information contained in the original three courses (Basic Refrigeration; Ice Making and Painting Technologies; Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations) as well as highlight updated best practices. The course will be taught over a two-day period and includes a final exam. The course will be scheduled throughout the year at regional locations around the province.
If the member fails the CIT Recertification Course (classroom-based), he/she will have the option to re-take the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or online), at the same fee, and re-write the exam or choose to write the CIT Challenge Exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT certification courses: Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
Option 3: Take the ORFA CIT Recertification Course (online)
This course, developed in partnership with the Office of Open Learning, University of Guelph, will mirror the information presented in the classroom-based course and include a final exam. The course will be three weeks long and will be facilitated online by an ORFA content expert.
If the member fails the CIT Recertification Course (online), he/she will have the option to re-take the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or online), at the same fee, and re-write the exam or choose to write the CIT Challenge Exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT certification courses: Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
The information used to create the CIT Challenge Exam and presented in the CIT Recertification Course (classroom-based and online) will address the subject matter at the same level of intensity and scrutiny as the information presented in the original three courses. As such, the recertification information will:
- Review current theory, advanced principles and best practices
- Present the latest in technologies, techniques, tools
- Review legal liabilities and responsibilities
- Test to measure the skills and knowledge to work competently as an ice technician professional.
5 Years – CIT Recertification All ORFA members who hold the CIT professional designation are required to recertify every five years. They have until December 31st of the fifth year to accomplish recertification through successful completion of the recertification course (online or classroom-based) or the challenge exam. If so desired, members may recertify earlier than every 5 years. Individual or grandfathered group membership must be maintained in order to retain use of the CIT professional designation.
5 Years plus 6 months – CIT Suspended Individuals who do not recertify by December 31st in their recertifying year will have their CIT credential temporarily suspended for up to six (6) months following the December 31st deadline. Those who wish to recertify during this six month period may do so by successfully completing the recertification course (online or classroom-based) or the challenge exam. A $50.00 administration fee will be applicable in addition to the recertification course/exam fees. During the six month suspension period, individual or grandfathered group membership must be maintained.
5 Years plus 6 months plus a day – CIT Revoked CIT holders who do not recertify by the end of the six month suspension period will be notified that their CIT has been revoked. They will lose the right to use the professional designation. Those who have had their designation revoked and wish to regain the professional designation must reapply for the designation under the current ORFA application rules. Also, they will be required to successfully complete the recertification course (online or classroom-based) or by writing the challenge exam. Individual membership will be required of all those reapplying under a revoked status. This applies to those who were previously covered under the grandfathered group membership. A $75.00 administration fee will be applicable in addition to the recertification course/exam fees.
Please contact:
Sharon Dias, Administrative Assistant
Ontario Recreation Facilities Association
1 Concorde Gate, Suite 102, Toronto, Ontario M3C 3N6
tel: (416) 426-7299 fax: (416) 426-7385 email: admin@orfa.com
