The American Rental Association (ARA) has launched its first ARA Certified programs: ARA Certified – Sales, ARA Certified – Service, and the ARA Certified Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) program. ARA Certified – Sales and ARA Certified – Service are online professional development programs, with the goal of teaching your employees fundamental knowledge about the equipment rental industry they will need on the job. The ARA Certified MEWP training program satisfies the new ANSI A92 standards approved in June 2020.
“The ARA Certified programs we launched in March are a direct reflection of our association’s strategic initiatives that are focused on safety and preparing the industry for the future,” says Tony Conant, ARA CEO. “These programs establish rental industry standards, professional development and training that you can’t find anywhere else.”
The ARA Certified MEWP Train the Trainer program
The ARA Certified MEWP Train the Trainer program is a hybrid program. The classroom portion of the training is all online in RentalU (ARA’s learning management system). Then a certified master trainer will give a 4-5 hour live, hands-on training session. Graduates are qualified to train others using the ARA Certified MEWP program. The hands-on training portion is presented by ARA state associations or other local settings for members without an active ARA state chapter.
The initial member reaction to the ARA Certified programs is excitement for the long-awaited arrival of professional certifications for equipment rental staff. “For the past three years, I have been pushing for a certification for equipment like the event segment has with ARA’s CERP [Certified Event Rental Professional] program, and it thrills me to know that it is finally happening,” says Beth Hoff Blackmer, president, Aspen Rent-All, Basalt, Colo. “We, as individuals and businesses, are always seeking ways to grow personally and professionally. The ARA Certified programs will be a fantastic offering for owners to offer to their staff. It also promotes rental as a safe industry, which is critical in the construction field. I look forward to becoming certified and urge all in the industry to join me.”
Work on ARA Certified programs for forklift operations and MEWP operator certifications for rental customers is underway. That is an expectation they will be available in 2023. You can begin with ARA Certified MEWP Train the Trainer at ARArental.org/MEWP. You can also start with the ARA Certified Sales and ARA Certified Service programs at ARArental.org/Certified.
About ARA
The American Rental Association, Moline, Ill., is an international trade association for owners of equipment and event rental businesses and also the manufacturers and suppliers of construction/industrial, general tool and party/event rental equipment. ARA members, which include more than 11,000 rental businesses and more than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers, are located in every U.S. state and more than 40 countries worldwide. Founded in 1955, ARA is the source for information, advocacy, education, networking and marketplace opportunities for both the equipment and event rental industry throughout the world.
