- Fiber
Optic Training Course Approval
The Fiber Optic Association often gets requests
about recommendations for fiber optic training courses and that has
been expressed as a major concern by our members. We will not make any
recommendations unless we have evaluated and approved these courses.
The FOA is not itself a training organization. The FOA is a non-profit
professional society whose members work in the fiber optic
industry. Our charter is to develop standards for training and
certification of fiber optic technicians. Instructor development and
certification is also within our charter. We have also developed and
given away training programs for schools under an NSF grant and been
chartered by ANSI (along with NECA) to develop installation standards
for fiber optics. We are a contributor to TIA and international
standards.
- The
FOA approves classes at the basic level for CFOT certification,
advanced (AFOT) and specialist (CFOS in termination, splicing, testing
and design) at FOA-approved schools.
What are the advantages of FOA approval of your courses? FOA
Certification is desired by many students and, by virtue of it's
unbiased nature and comprehensive examination, widely respected in the
industry. It will lend additional credibility to you and your
organization. It will provide a basis for prospective students to judge
the quality of the program. It will allow you to offer FOA
certification, known and respected worldwide. The FOA will list your
school on a master
list of FOA-approved schools available on our Web site, www.TheFOA.org
which, we are told by schools listed there helps recruiting
tremendously. FOA certification allows your students who achieve FOA
CFOT certification to list their services at no cost on the FOA online database, which has been
used by thousands of potential clients. The cost of certification to
FOA schools includes one year membership in The FOA for your students.
As the FOA is a non-profit promoting fiber optics, there is no cost to
the school for FOA approval and no cost for instructor certiifcation.
To gain FOA approval, you must meet the criteria defined below. Any
good course should meet our standards. If you have questions or want to
submit a course for approval, contact me at The FOA or fill in the
application and return it to us.
Jim Hayes
President -
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- FOA
Training Course Approval, Requirements and Rules For Schools
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- FOA
Policy Statement:
The FOA is an international non-profit educational
organization that is dedicated to promoting professionalism in the
field of fiber optics. As part of its charter, The FOA has developed
guidelines for fiber optic training courses and approves training
organizations around the world that meet our standards.
- One
of the reasons the FOA has such a good reputation world-wide, is that
we accept only the best training organizations and require them to
maintain the highest standards so that they produce the best fiber
optic technicians in the world. To maintain these standards, we require
all our schools to maintain these high standards.
- If
your curriculum is approved and you agree to comply with the FOA
guidelines, you will be provided with the appropriate materials to
offer FOA certifications and your courses will be promoted on the FOA
website.
- The
Fiber Optic Association approves fiber optic training courses given by
any organization under the following conditions:
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- Course
Approval
Each course must meet the requirements
for FOA curriculum and be approved by The FOA. Organizations
must send the FOA a signed application
or apply online
and may be requested to submit a course outline, description of
hands-on labs (at least 1/3 of class time), notes and textbook for FOA
review on each course submitted for approval. If a course is not
approved upon submission, reasons will be given and the course may be
resubmitted with changes. If the school is teaching a widely available
course or using the FOA School Starter
Kits, not an internally developed course, inform the FOA
before submitting course materials, as it may be unnecessary.
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- Textbook
And Training Materials
The FOA CFOT exam is based on the FOA-written textbook The Fiber Optic Technicians
Manual
by Jim Hayes, Published by Delmar Publishers, in
the most recent edition. This book is the recommended text for a basic
fiber optic course. The test answers are referenced to the appropriate
pages in the book.
An additional reference used in the FOA exams is NECA 301-2004,
Installing And Testing Fiber Optic Cables, produced
by The FOA in cooperation with NECA (The National Electrical
Contractors Association).
Both the textbook and NECA standards are available at a discount to
FOA-approved schools through the FOA. Schools must have these books
available to students for reference if they are not supplied as part of
the course materials to each student.
- "Starter Kits" for
new schools, including reference books and curriculum materials
(instructor guides, powerpoint presentations, etc.) are available from
the FOA.
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- Instructors
All instructors giving the course must be current FOA members and FOA
certified via the CFOT and the CFOS/I instructor certifications. The
FOA has a "Train the Trainer" program which leads to a "Certified Fiber
Optic Specialist / Instructor" (CFOS/I) certification. You may take the
FOA Instructor Training Program online (http://www.thefoa.org/TTT/.)
For new schools, instructors must achieve CFOT certification
immediately and have one year to achieve the CFOS/I instructor
certification. There is no cost for instructor certification and one
year free membership is given to all newly certified instructors.
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- Certification
All students taking courses at a FOA approved school listed as an
FOA-Approved course must be offered the certification test as part of
the program. They may decline, but the offer must be made as part of
the course.
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- Use
Of FOA Appproval In Promoting Courses
FOA approval is an important marketing point for fiber optic training,
so FOA approved courses may be listed as such on the promotional
material provided by the organization providing the training. A "FOA
Approved" logo (downloadable
from the FOA website) may be used and the following
statement: "This course meets the training requirements set by The
Fiber Optic Association. FOA CFOT (Certified Fiber Optic Technician)
certification testing is offered to all students."
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- Withdrawal
of Approval
Approval of the course may be withdrawn at any time with 30 day notice
if the course fails to meet FOA requirements, is given by a non-FOA
CFOT instructor, if unresolved complaints are received regarding the
course or the school does not submit certification applications and
payments promptly.
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- Primary
Contact for Communication
Each organization must provide The FOA with a primary contact for
communication regarding FOA matters. The contact must have a postal
address, fax and email contact. Schools should provide their website
for inclusion on the FOA school online listing.
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- Contact
Changes
Schools must keep the FOA informed of changes in address, contact
information or instructor changes. The FOA maintains a current list of
schools on its website that many students use for contacting schools so
it is important to keep the information current. Schools must
respond to an annual survey to update all relevant information.
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- Course
Evaluation by Students
The FOA will send each new CFOT a course evaluation form to evaluate
student feedback. FOA personnel may attend any course at any time to
evaluate the course presented and instructor performance.
- Course
Material
Fiber optic courses submitted for FOA approval should contain the
course material listed at
http://www.thefoa.org/instructors/class-reqs.htm as a minimum.
Specialized courses (e.g FTTx, CFOS specialties, etc.) will be
evaluated on their contents as described in lesson plans or course
descriptions.
Advanced Courses
Advanced courses to offer the Advanced Fiber Optic Technician (AFOT),
Fiber To the Home (CFxT) and Certified Fiber Optic Specialist (CFOS)
certifications on termination, splicing, test/troubleshooting and
design will be considered for FOA approval. When submitting an advanced
course for FOA approval, make sure it meets the FOA advanced courses
guidelines. See http://www.thefoa.org/Certs.htm
and http://www.thefoa.org/instructors/class-reqs.htm
or contact the FOA office for more details.
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- Student
Applications, Tests and Instructions
All FOA student applications, certification tests, and instructions are
available from the FOA secure website for downloading. Once your
program is approved, you will be provided with access to the site. The
school is responsible for printing tests, answer sheets, etc. and
grading all the exams. Having the schools do the printing and grading
keeps FOA certification costs low for everyone.
Follow the instructions downloaded from the website for administering
and grading the exams. After administering the exams, send only
applications back to The FOA with payment. Shred answer sheets, please!
Schools should give the student the FOA test receipt, a certificate of
completion and tell them the FOA will send them an ID card, Schools
must forward all applications to the FOA promptly, as students will
call if they do not receive their card in a timely manner, especially
since many students want to be listed on the FOA online database ASAP. Applications
should include the student's permanent address so they can be added to
the database and contacted for renewal.
- The
FOA has online certification testing available for instructors and
students under special circumstances. If you have instructors and
students interested in online
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- License
Agreement/Terms Of Use
All the FOA Certification tests and background
information to run programs in your training organization are offered
subject to your acceptance of license agreements and warranty terms.
- This
agreement is limited to your organization, your designated instructors
and courses given at any location where your instructors teach.
- You
are licensed to use FOA material for its intended purpose only, namely
training and certifying students in fiber optics as part of FOA
certification programs.
- You
may not use the FOA certification exams and other FOA material in any
way except to print and administer the exams to your students.
- Your
responsibility is to protect the exams and other FOA material from
unauthorized distribution or use. You may use the training materials
supplied as PPT files as is or you may adapt it to your course(s).
- You
may supply students with printed copies of the training materials for
classroom study.
- The
intellectual property rights and copyright of the original material
remain the property of The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. excepting The
Fiber Optic Technicians Manual copyright is owned my Delmar publishing
and the NECA/FOA-301 standard is owned by NECA.
- School
Approval and Certification Test Costs
Again, there is no cost to the school itself to join the FOA nor is
there any cost for instructor certification testing. The CFOT, AFOT or
any CFOS certification test is priced at $30 for each student test
taken. Schools may charge a test administration fee in addition to the
cost of the FOA certification. Schools collect payment from the
student, either as part of course tuition or separately, and submit
payment with all applications. Payment must be made in a timely manner
for the entire class or group of classes, not individual payments by
students. Payment may be made by school check or credit card. Purchase
orders may be used with prior approval. Schools should make payments to
the FOA in one check or one credit card charge covering all students in
the class along with the applications for all students covered by the
check.
Schools may include the testing fee in the course cost or charge
separately. The fee charged may include the FOA fee and a reasonable
school overhead fee. When asked, the FOA informs students of our fee
charged to the schools.
- Students
will be sent an FOA ID card when their application is officially
registered with the FOA. The student is not certified until their
application with payment is received from the school and they are
registered in our database.
- Students
will be sent a renewal form after one year. Renewal is necessary to
remain current with their certification.
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- Application for FOA School
Approval (PDF) or use the Online
Application Form
- Information
on FOA School Starter
Kits
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- All
school administrators and instructors are required to sign up for the FOA
email newsletters, both the general newsletter and the school
newsletter:
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- For
more information, contact The Fiber Optic Association office at the
address above. Please remember the office is on California time!
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