How the Training Program Works

Certain Local 94 members must complete the Mandatory Portion of the Training Program, which is made up of six units, or courses. Participants in the Mandatory Program registered for Unit I must also attend a three-hour Orientation Class.

Each course consists of 60 hours of class time, or 20 three-hour sessions. Each session, or class, meets for three hours once a week, over the course of five months. Completing the entire Mandatory Portion (six units) takes about three years.

The six units include introductory lessons on commercial building properties and maintenance facilities.

Learn more about the different courses here. 

It is your responsibility to attend all sessions of the units. In accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Trustees, you may only miss 10% of the total sessions, or up to two sessions over the course of a unit.

If you are absent due to unforeseen circumstances, instructors and staff at the Training Program can work with you to make up any missed time. If you know you will miss a session, let the Training Program staff know ahead of time so they can try to add you to an alternative session.

If you exceed the two-session absence limit, you will be marked as incomplete at the end of the unit unless those classes are made up in the current or following semester. However, if you attend less than 14 classes for one particular unit in a semester, the entire unit will have to be repeated. The Training Fund Office must approve any classes that must be made up.

If the incomplete classes or the unit that needs to be repeated are not completed by the following semester, it will result in suspension or expulsion from the Training Program. If you are suspended you may still be reinstated into the Training Program depending on certain factors, which will be reviewed by the Program staff and your Union Representative.

For questions about your attendance, or to notify the Training Program staff that you will be absent, please contact the Training Fund Office at (212) 956-4854 (Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM) or email the Training Fund Coordinator, Lucy Del Valle.

The Local 94 Training Fund and the Training Program are funded by employer contributions. While employer contributions pay for the Training Fund, some classes require a tuition fee. Learn about the different Training Program courses and see which classes require tuition.

Participation in the Training Program lets you earn Local Union and International Union Certificates and Professional Program Certificates.

Local 94 Certificates

You are awarded a Local 94 Certificate in a specific subject matter after completing each course in the Local 94 Training Program. In order to receive a Certificate of Completion, you must complete the required course hours and obtain a minimum score of 70% on the final exam. If you obtain 80% or higher on the final exam, you will receive the distinction of Cum Laude; if you score 90% or better, you will receive the distinction of Magna Cum Laude.

By completing certain courses, graduates of the Training Program may also qualify for the following professional certificates or licenses:

• Building Operator Certification Level I & II (BOC)
• Category 7G Cooling Tower Water Treatment License (DEC)
• Universal Technician Certification (EPA)
• Fire Safety/Emergency Action Plan Director Certificate of Fitness (FDNY)
• Refrigerating System Operating Engineer Certificate of Qualification (FDNY)
• Sprinkler S-12 Certificate of Fitness (FDNY)
• Standpipe S-13 Certificate of Fitness (FDNY)
• Air Compressor Certificate of Fitness A-35 (FDNY)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 Hour General Industry Course (OSHA)

IUOE Certification

Certificates of Completion are available from the International Union, located in Washington, DC, for Local 94 members who complete any of the following courses:

• Indtroduction to Basic Refrigeration
• Introduction to Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration
• Fundamentals of Applied Electricity 
• Controls and Control Systems
• Indoor Air Quality
• Energy Conservation
• Chief Engineer Training
• Critical Systems
• High Efficiency Low Pressure Boiler

BOMI Certification

The Local 94 Training Program is accredited by and partners with the Building Owners and Manager's Institute (BOMI). BOMI will award credits toward its Systems Maintenance Technician (SMT) and System Maintenance Administrator (SMA) Certificates to members who successfully complete comparable courses in the Training Program.

In order to meet the BOMI standards, you must:

• Maintain adequate attendance, and
• Achieve a written exam grade of 70% or better in each of the six mandatory program units of study.

To be eligible to receive BOMI's SMT (System Maintenance Technician) Certificate, you must:

• Graduate from the Training Program while meeting BOMI standards, and 
• Complete two additional units (Units EC and IAQ).

To be eligible to receive BOMI's SMA (System Maintenance Administrator) Certificate, you must:

• Complete the SMT Certificate requirements, and
• Complete three additional units (Units 6, 7 and 8).

Participating in the Training Program allows you to earn college credits that lead to advanced degrees in the facilities operation and management industry.

The Local 94 Training Fund partners with the Murphy Institute and the New York City College of Technology (NYCCT), both part of the City University of New York (CUNY), to give you an education that lets you invest in your future. Together, Local 94 and the Murphy Institute have designed an accelerated pathway for you to earn Associates and Bachelor degrees relevant to the industry.

After meeting certain requirements, you are awarded tuition-free credits towards college degrees. To be eligible, you must:

• Have at least three years of membership in Local 94;
• Successfully complete the Local 94 Training Program;
• Successfully complete the Energy Conservation Course; and
• Successfully complete the Mechanical Drafting Course.

Once meeting the requirements, you are awarded 15 tuition-free credits towards the 60 credits required for an Associates Degree in Applied Science in Environmental Control Technology. 

After earning the Associates degree in Environmental Control Technology, you may apply those 60 credits towards a Bachelor of Technology degree in Facilities Management Technology from NYCTT.

If you enrolled in either of these degree programs after Fall 2006, the Fund will reimburse you for the cost of classes that equal up to a maximum of 30 credits. The class credits must pertain to either degree, and you will be reimbursed after sending a receipt of the cost and proof of completion.

Members who combine the 15 tuition-free credits awarded by the Environmental Control Department at NYCCT with the tuition reimbursement offered by the Fund can cover nearly 75% of the cost of the credits needed to earn an Associate Degree or nearly 40% of the cost of the credits needed to earn a Bachelor’s Degree.

For more information, please contact the Training Fund Office at (212) 956-4854 (Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM) or email the Training Fund coordinator Lucy Del Valle.

For more information on how the Training Fund and Training Program work, download and read: Training Fund Brochure (PDF).