By Shelia Watson
Contributing Writer

The S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation has turned down a request to make continuing education a requirement for contractor licensing, much to the chagrin of several contractors in the Lowcountry.

The labor department regulates the practice of general and mechanical contracting, burglar and fire alarm system businesses and fire protection sprinkler contractors in the state. The agency administers license law to about 12,000 licensees and investigates complaints, disciplining contractors when necessary.

At the labor department’s Oct. 18 board meeting, Administrator Mike Anderson presented the issue of continuing-education requirements, noting that several trade associations had requested the state adopt the requirements for contractors statewide. Such an adoption would require legislative approval.

After discussion, the board rejected the idea.

“It was the board’s opinion that it currently does not have the resources or staff for the requirement of continuing education,” said Lesia Kudelka, a spokeswoman for the labor department.

Kudelka said the board recommended that the trade associations offer continuing education for members.

“The problem with the associations taking this into their own hands is that belonging to an association is voluntary,” said Jay Michel, vice president of Blitch Plumbing Co. and a member of the Charleston County Mechanical Board. “Several of the associations around here offer training and education, but because it’s not mandatory, a lot of people just don’t take the time to do it.”

Michel said making continuing education a requirement to hold a license is necessary for the safety of workers and for the homeowner or business where work is being done.

“Some people are not up to date on changes that happen in the industry, and that can result in things being installed wrong because the installer doesn’t know there’s a change in the code or that the new equipment is different,” Michel said.

“It’s crazy that (the labor department) won’t get behind this. A barber has to have continuing ed. A real estate agent has to have continuing ed. When it comes to construction, architects, engineers and inspectors all have to have continuing ed. But people who deal with potable water and gas don’t have to have continuing ed. This makes no sense,” he said.

Leslie Hope, a supervisor with the building division of Carolinas Association of General Contractors, said the continuing-education proposal is considered by most of the association’s members as a positive move.

“Some feel it will increase standards for members, although some wonder whether it’s worth the effort,” she said. “We know it’ll take a lot of effort on the part of (the labor department) to administer and monitor it. There’s a question of whether they’ll audit contractors randomly to be sure they’re in compliance and how that will be done. It’s not as easy as it sounds, for sure, but we still think it’s a good idea.”

Hope said the general contractors association offers its members a variety of training programs, from welder certification to leadership forums.

“Some of our members might feel that they get what they need through programs like that, and so there might be some resistance to yet another set of education and training requirements to keep their license,” she said.

Nevertheless, Michel said the Charleston Mechanical Contractors Association and the Charleston Master Plumbers Association are two trade groups working to push the issue through legislation.

“If we can’t get (the labor department) to assist with this, we’ll try to work with local inspection departments, hoping to take it to legislators directly,” he said. “Charleston is spearheading this, and some of the associations in other parts of the state are watching to see how it goes. I know they’re interested in this too, especially the groups that are close to the North Carolina and Georgia borders.”

Michel said that having a continuing education requirement would allow contractors in South Carolina to work on a reciprocal basis with other states that have such requirements.

“For example, right now, a contractor working around the upstate near Charlotte has to have two licenses, one for South Carolina and one for North Carolina if he works in both states,” he said. “If we get our standards in this state the same as the ones in that state, we can reciprocate the license. And that makes things a lot easier for the contractor. Plus it reassures both states that the worker is up to date on how the work should be performed.”

Continuing education is required in most nearby states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.

“This is another example of us needing to raise the standard and stop sitting on the bottom of the list,” Michel said.

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