ESA gets a number of questions about how the CEUs for renewing ACEs work. Today I'll try and answer some of them and ease any lingering confusion.
First off, our intent in having CEUs is to ensure the rigor of the program is uniform. If you've earned your ACE, you know that the test is rigorous and really tests your knowledge of the program. You didn't earn your ACE without working for it. Similarly, you need to keep learning in order to keep your ACE. And documenting your CEUs is a part of that.
But at the same time we're not trying to recreate what the states do. Here in the USA, all states require a certain amount of education to maintain your pesticide applicator's license. Internationally, some provinces, states, and countries require recertification, but not everywhere. The standard needs to be uniform for all ACEs, regardless of geographic location.
Generally the US-state requirements are pretty strict and only certain activities will count toward renewal. Virtually any activity that counts for your state recertification credits will also count for ACE. And ESA has some allowable activities that most states won't allow.
The examples below are some less common ways to earn your ACE renewal CEUs. Bear in mind that the rules may change over time. These are allowable as of now, but you should click here to see the current table of eligible CEUs.
Reading trade publications: There are many great trade publications for pest control, including PCT, PMP, and NPMA's PestWorld. You can claim up to 2 hours per year by reading trade publications. We recommend that you simply keep a file of articles that you read as documentation. Some people keep a copy of the magazine in print form and put a checkmark on the Table of Contents of articles that they read.
Job-related examinations taken: You can claim up to 3 hours per year for job related examinations, including the ACE exam, as long as it falls within the period you are submitting CEUs for. This is of great value to those newer ACEs who are still gathering their first renewal CEUs.
Webinars: NPMA, Univar, and others all put on some great webinars on pest control education. Some of these are free and some require a fee, but you can claim up to 7 hours per year for webinars.
Job-related community service: You can claim a couple of hours per year simply by being a good steward of your knowledge in your community. Talk to a group of seniors about insects, speak at your local homeless center about ways to mitigate the likelihood of bed bugs, or maybe even help educate your community about the dangers of DIY pest control. You could even get credit simply by performing pro bono pest management services for a charity organization.
Articles authored and Pest control Blogs written: Some ACEs find that starting a blog or authoring a column for their local newspaper is a great way to do some marketing outreach in addition to fulfilling their CEU requirement. YOu can claim 6 hours a year for articles and 2 hours a year for blogs.
Training attended and Professional conferences: This is the primary way that most people earn their CEUs. You can get all that you need simply by attending a one full day session every year.
If you have any questions about what counts as a CEU, please contact us after clicking here to see the current table of eligible CEUs. ESA wants to make the process as smooth as possible for everyone while still maintaining ongoing educational requirements.
