In 1987, the Bureau of Contract Administration (BCA) launched the Assistant Inspector Training Program (AITP) to improve its training opportunities and prepare candidates who have a desire to become construction inspectors (CI), but lack the technical and field experience needed to do so. The AITP is an intensive apprenticeship program that allows candidates up to five years to promote to a construction inspector position. Recent candidates of the program have promoted in as little as two years.
The BCA training section is staffed by three full-time senior construction inspector training officers who, in conjunction with district supervisors, provide extensive classroom and field training. AITP candidates receive the equivalent of a college semester’s work that includes homework and testing to verify progress toward preparing for the CI exam. Construction topics include concrete, street, traffic signal, street lighting, plan reading, sewer, storm drain, OSHA safety requirements, grading, landscaping, traffic control, specifications and record keeping. AITP participants are exposed to every type of work a CI does during this training.
Our program has attracted a diverse group of candidates with backgrounds ranging from recent college graduates with both construction and non-construction related degrees, various construction trades and even a barista! To date, 120 assistant inspectors have been trained including 20 women. Their success includes promotions to construction and senior construction inspectors, several principal and chief construction inspectors and the current inspector of Public Works!