IUPAT International Finishing Trades Institute Receives Accreditation
from Council on Occupational Education

The Training Institution of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Now Found on the Web at www.IFTI.edu

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) International Finishing Trades Institute (IFTI) has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE).  Initially founded in 1971, one of the primary missions of the COE is to offer public assurance that accredited institutions provide quality instruction in career and technical education.  It is one of only eight accreditation agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The IFTI develops curriculum and trains the trainers of the IUPAT, who then provide skills and safety education to the men and women of the IUPAT workforce in over 30 training programs in the Finishing Trades – industrial and commercial painting, floor covering installation, drywall finishing, glazing and glasswork and sign and display, among other crafts.

This COE assurance is only granted to institutions, like the IFTI, that meet rigorous educational and operational standards.  This includes operating under a 501 (c) 3 status, a minimum two years of a fiscally healthy financial status, it conducts an annual audit, and can produce published rules and regulations for employees and students.

In addition to meeting the criteria above, the IFTI also proved its merit for COE accreditation through its U.S. Department of Labor registered training standards for IUPAT crafts, its college degree programs with partner colleges, offering online learning via the IFTI Learning Management System, the development and implementation of skills certifications and active industry partnerships.

The leadership of the IFTI looks forward to its new accredited status to provide the means to improve the recruitment of new members, expand its degree programs with new college partners and qualify for additional grants and loans to enhance its training programs on the local level throughout North America. Currently, five other local IUPAT training programs are also accredited.

“Our economy needs workers who rise from apprenticeships like ours,” said Anton Ruesing, IFTI administrator. “This accreditation will no doubt serve the members of the IUPAT and our industry partners well as we continue to improve our educational, skills and safety training programs.”