HOUSTON – After a year in development, NACE International has rolled out its flagship Coating Inspector Program (CIP) in a blended learning format that splits the course into online and in-person components. The first virtual CIP Level 1 class was held at the end of March. Originally planned for release this summer, NACE instructors are opening their schedules to meet the requests of students who were registered for in-person classes that have been canceled due to the global COVID-19 health crisis.

Designed to accommodate students who can’t travel for extended periods of time or spend five consecutive days off work, the curriculum breaks the course into two days of theoretical education virtually and three days of practical, in-person training that is taken later. Virtual classes will be hosted as a synchronous learning experience where students are able to view and communicate with instructors in real time.

“While these certainly weren’t the circumstances we envisioned when we developed our blended learning CIP courses, it’s fortunate we had the infrastructure and curriculum built and a team of instructors trained and ready to teach,” said NACE President Terry Greenfield. “As we all find ourselves restricted from our usual routines and plans, I hope this helps NACE students make the most of this time by moving forward with their educational pursuits.”

Students who register for the hybrid CIP Level 1 course between now and April 30 will also have free access to Modules 3 and 4 of NACE’s Industrial Coating Application eCourse, which is an interactive learning portal where they can continue their study of CIP concepts outside of the class.

NACE will release its CIP Level 2 hybrid course in April 2020. Registration for these new virtual courses is available by contacting blendedlearning@nace.org.