The Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology (CITT/ICTS) has accepted a permanent seat on ESTA’s Certification Council. The Certification Council is the governing body which will manage the development and implementation of the new industry-wide Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP). CITT President Ron Morissette will serve as the CITT/ICTS representative on the Council with an alternate member to be named soon.
“Canada has shown strong development in the area of certification of entertainment technicians through provincial programs in B.C., Ontario and Québec," says Morissette. "We are pleased to see that this important issue is being addressed in a larger forum and that adequate resources are being dedicated so as to create safer working environments. We are very pleased that ESTA has shown leadership in this area and have also considered consulting CITT/ICTS with regards to Canadian jurisdiction and cultural issues related to certification.”
"ESTA is delighted to have CITT on board the Certification Council,” says ESTA president Mike Wood. “They bring a wealth of experience to the table particularly with the knowledge they have of existing certification programs in Canada. Our goal is to make this program as widely applicable as possible and we can't do that without the right partners."
The ESTA Certification Council represents the diversity of the industry. Members include key leaders in entertainment business, labor, facilities, associations, and academia. Organizational members of the Certification Council include IAAM, IATSE, TEA and USITT. The key areas of electrical skills and rigging skills have been identified for initial development in the ETCP. Additional information may be found at www.etcp.esta.org.