CWA Blog Archive-CWA Certification Updates

CWA Certification Updates

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This article updates members on the CWA's certification offerings as the indoor climbing industry began roaring back after the pandemic, with increasing numbers of gyms looking to add newly certified climbing wall workers or renew existing staff. It's candid that pandemic-related travel challenges were still impeding a return to pre-pandemic offerings, while emphasizing the CWA's work to create new opportunities and ensure members get the training and certifications they need. The article recaps the CWA's pandemic response. During the pandemic, it offered extensions to expiring Climbing Wall Instructors (CWI), Providers, and Work at Height professionals, preventing lapses when in-person training was impossible. Simultaneously, it began developing virtual renewals for Providers in the latter part of 2020, and has since expanded renewal offerings and implemented a new virtual course for both first-time and renewing CWIs, a significant step toward accessible, remote certification. However, some certifications can't be done virtually: Work at Height and CWI Provider courses need to be done in person, reflecting their hands-on, safety-critical nature. The immediate plan for the year was still evolving as the CWA negotiated travel and training opportunities across the US and Canada, but it hoped to conduct in-person trainings in the last quarter of the year, with the next certain opportunity being the 2022 CWA Summit in Salt Lake City. The throughline is that the CWA adapted its certification programs to keep members trained and credentialed through the pandemic's disruptions while working to restore full offerings as the industry recovered, balancing accessibility with the hands-on rigor that safety-critical credentials like Work at Height demand.

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This piece updates members on CWA certifications as the industry rebounded post-pandemic. The CWA extended expiring credentials, added virtual renewals and a new virtual CWI course, while noting Work at Height and CWI Provider courses still require in-person delivery. It points to the 2022 Summit as the next certain training opportunity amid lingering travel challenges.