FEATURE STORY
By Dave Worden
Changing of the guard
highlights EETC Conference
T
Scott Mack of Kohler Company conducts a session on EFI for propane.
A high-school instructor works on a Hydro-Gear gear box during a training session.
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OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
he 17th annual Equipment &
Engine Training Council (EETC)
Conference took place April
10-12 in Bloomington, Minn.,
with some changes at the top. James
Roche stepped down as the Executive
Director in October 2012, and Erik Sides,
formerly of Jacobson, was chosen by the
Executive Board to succeed Roche. Sides
will continue to bring the Board's vision
of getting certified technicians into the
industry. He has some new ideas and
programs that he feels will accomplish this
task. Both the Executive Board and the
General Board fully endorse his vision.
With this change, there was a
renewed energy that the members saw
and felt as they worked on the various
programs and projects that have been
in the EETC's program of work. One
of those programs was to make sure the
EETC followed up on re-certifications,
as well as looked into moving the testing
to an online focus in addition to the
traditional proctored options that are
currently in place. Another program
of work that the EETC is very proud
of is the Accreditation Manual that
is made available to help Career and
Technical Schools and Colleges prepare
and develop a training program for
both equipment and engine training.
The members reviewed, updated, and
made the necessary changes to keep it
current and viable for administrators and
teachers to use.
The Executive Board also met to look
at additional new programs and policies
that the EETC will be bringing forward
to further enhance the offerings to both
technicians and dealerships. "Stay tuned
for more and very cool programs and
changes that technicians, teachers and the
industry will find extremely beneficial,"
said Sides.
In addition to the changes and
reviewing of the tests and guides, both
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