With the four hurricanes that roared through Florida last year and the other 66 natural disasters declared throughout the US, shortages of licensed contractors due to limitations on reciprocity caused concern among state relief agencies.
In light of this and other concerns, the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) has begun the development of a national contractor exam. By developing such an exam, NASCLA hopes to:
§ enable countrywide reciprocity § facilitate contractor mobility § reduce redundant requirements
In order to bring this goal to fruition, NASCLA has contracted with Professional Examination Services (PES) to begin development of a national contractor licensing examination. PES has launched the beginning of the criteria development for the exam and is seeking to ensure that no critical skill is omitted from the list of knowledge and skills needed for working safely and competently in multiple states.
The input of professional building contractors is very valuable in this endeavor and contractor volunteers are still needed. NASCLA members are encouraged to submit names of qualified contractors to assist PES by contacting Angie Whitaker, NASCLA Administrator at 480-948-3363 or by email at angie@nascla.org.