Unfortunately, this results in two problems:

1. Unscrupulous hack jobs are allowed to run free
2. Identifying the premier training providers is nearly impossible.

Thankfully, ‘nearly impossible’ doesn’t mean ’completely impossible‘.  In this post, I’ll outline the key features to look for in a mold training course and help sift through the myriad choices in the market today.  Fair warning though, don’t expect any of these classes to provide you with all the training necessary to begin performing mold inspections.  An effective inspector must come with a background in construction or enroll in additional building courses.  Nearly, if not all, of the courses detailed below focus entirely on the identification of mold itself rather than the identification of the source of mold.  The latter requires a much greater understanding of building science.

First, let’s look at the major players:

The National Association of Mold Professionals, or NAMP, as they’re commonly referred to, is one of the oldest in the industry.

They’ve been around as long as I’ve been in the industry (8+years).  Their website has remained nearly unchanged over the years, though whether or not this reflects on their content remains to be seen.  NAMP’s training emphasizes in-person, classroom style lectures rather than online delivery.

The majority of training providers have moved their content online, which certainly has some drawbacks.  I am glad to see NAMP still providing in-person training.

PRO’S

• Recognized as continuing education by many organizations
• Established industry name

CON’S

• Limited, if any, online offering
• Little emphasis on building science and source identification
• Dated website directory

Full disclosure, I assisted in the development of the original MICRO course.  However, the website and training has undergone substantial changes over the years.  MICRO isn’t a new player, and like NAMP, they’ve operated in the industry for nearly 10 years.  

Traditionally, MICRO has emphasized online, correspondence style courses with occasional live training courses.  The courses provide both inspection and remediation classes, and have a unique emphasis on business strategies and advice.

Undoubtedly, MICRO has the best looking website of the bunch, a critical factor when clients visit your certification page.  This high level of technological expertise is also found in their online training delivery portal.

PRO’S

• Excellent business training
• Established organization with many years of experience

CON’S

• Apparantly, no continuing education credits are available
• Not recognized by the Louisiana or Texas for mold licensing

Created as a subsidiary of PHII (Professional Home Inspection Institute), PMII offers a variety of both in-person and correspondence style courses.  Much like MICRO, they offer distinct courses for mold inspection and remediation.

The point is moot, however, because the price of their combination package is the same as their stand alone mold inspection course.  When considered as a package, their pricing is among the lowest in the industry.

PMII also offers a variety of complimentary courses, such as a level 1 Infrared Thermography Certification course.  I am a big fan of utilizing thermography in the inspection process; it should be a part of every established inspector’s training.  They also offer a short course on marketing and business development.

Their course description has one minor mistake, stating: “An ACAC registered prep course is required to take the applicable ACAC proctored exam.”  Actually, this isn’t true.  According to the ACAC website: “ACAC does not require training courses as prerequisites for its certification programs.”