Internship Review Committee Members

Internship Chair
John W. Lane, CBCO
Director | Region D

City of Hamilton
Tel: (905) 546-2424, ext. 1372
Fax: 905-546-2764

Email: John.Lane@hamilton.ca

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact the Review Committee directly.

When was the OBOA Internship Program approved by the MAH Minister? - 15 December 2005

Are existing building officials and new municipal employees eligible to enroll in the OBOA Internship Program? - YES, we will accommodate both types of employees! The Internship Program will assist existing Building Officials who must intern in one or more disciplines due to exam difficulties or upgrading of work duties. Secondly, any newly hired Building Official who must attain the minimum qualifications to practice.

Is the internship program open to Fire Prevention Officers? - Yes, any OBOA member who is part of the Municipalities Fire Service and is appointed as a building inspector by the municipal council (this includes the Fire Chief) for the enforcement of any portion of the Ontario Building Code respecting fire safety matters can be included in the internship program.

Can existing employees continue to work? - Yes. Under this approved model, current employees will continue to perform their tasks in context of the Regulation under a mentor while new employees will be able to perform certain tasks while completing qualification requirements as set out by the Review Committee. There is an exception, see OBC Division 'C', Article 3.1.4.2. approved interns are not permitted by the OBC to conduct specific tasks such as footing and foundation inspections prior to backfill and occupancy inspections.

How can I apply if training/experience was obtained outside of Canada? - Foreign educated and trained applicants will be required to obtain OBOA membership and demonstrate applicable and equivalent-knowledge of Internship application requirements as set out by the Review Committee.

Who can be a mentor? - A OBOA member who is a Provincially qualified inspector or chief building official as required by Division C, Article 3.1.4.2 of the Ontario Building Code must provide the mentorship.

What role does the mentor have in this process? - The mentor will need to demonstrate compliance with the procedures of a supervising and reporting program to be established between the OBOA, the Mentor (and /or the municipality) and the Intern for the purposes of monitoring the progress and fulfillment of the Internship.

Describe the Internship Options available to OBOA members only. - The internship program consists of two tiers. Tier 1 will encompass those qualifications, in part or in whole, which relate to "The House" qualification as set out in Part 2 of the Ontario Building Code. Specifically: "The House", "Plumbing - The House" and "HVAC - The House". Tier 2 shall comprise all other areas of study such as "Small Buildings, Large Buildings, Complex Buildings, Building Services, Building Structural, Plumbing All Buildings etc. For those who require the On-Site Sewage qualification, this category is available under Tier 1 or 2. The legal qualification will either be obtained prior to Intern application or as a component of either Tier 1 or 2

What is the length of time that the Internship Program allows individuals to train? - Tier 1 Interns may be enrolled for not longer than 18 months, except that a further period of 6 months may be added for personal hardship. Tier 2 Interns may be enrolled for not longer than 12 months, except that a further period of 6 months may be added for personal hardship.

Is it possible for a building official to complete Tier 1 & then Tier 2 and what would the time line consist of? - Yes. In consideration of diverse municipal conditions, enrolment in both tiers concurrently will be accepted. Interns may only participate once in each Tier. Or alternatively, an intern may elect to apply and complete Tier 1 first then re-apply for Tier 2. The advantage for the intern is the clock starts over and the additional cost is only $100.
Tier 1 max. 18 months + Tier 2 max. 12 months = Total time 30 months.
The Internship Program will include a supervised practical internship in addition to the academic education of a Building Official. A provincially qualified OBOA member as noted in Division 'C' Subsection 3.1.4 of the Ontario Building Code will provide the mentorship.

In summary what is an Intern Building Code Official? - An Internship Certificate allows a person to work using a designation Intern Building Code Official (IBCO) with the deficiencies in one or more of the basic requirements of the Classes of Registration and Categories of Qualifications for Inspectors in accordance with Division 'C', 3.5.2.1. of the Ontario Building Code (OBC).

How does a intern request a six month extention to the internship period, due to hardship? - To be considered for a six-month extension please complete and submit an internship extension request form to the OBOA provincial office no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled internship expiry date.