What is CTAM?
CTAM stands for Certification of Training in Asset Management. It is an exclusive four part series in Asset Management coursework and certification. CTAM has been developed by BAMI-I (Buried Asset Management Institute – International) in conjunction with the Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, in partnership with UIM: Water Utility Infrastructure Management.
CTAM is offered online and in classroom format.
Benefit of CTAM Courses to Professional Engineers
CTAM Courses benefit Professional Engineers with years of experience in management of underground asset infrastructure.
Most State Licensing Boards require PDHs for PE license renewal. It is up to the individual to verify that the Board for the State she/he is seeking license renewal will allow the CTAM course certifications. Many PEs who have years of experience in water and wastewater systems have never developed and implemented formalized asset management plans. These courses are developed by industry professionals for industry professionals. Many of the course development professionals are PEs with many years of experience.
Benefit of CTAM Courses to Municipalities
Municipalities benefit from participating in CTAM training and certification process. One benefit of these courses and certifications derived by smaller municipal systems may be related to the difficulty they have attracting/training/retaining highly skilled professionals to manage their underground asset infrastructure. The CTAM courses allow them to cost-effectively train inexperienced staff. It also provides a basis to recognize and reward individuals who attain the AWAM and/or PWAM certifications. This system of training and certifications also assists smaller municipalities with the hiring process and pay slotting for open positions.
The principles and practices of water asset management taught in the CTAM courses are appropriate for all sizes of utilities both public and private. BAMI-I makes a special effort to emphasize that this material was developed with a commitment to provide value to the 93% of utilities that serve fewer than 10,000 customers.
CTAM in Action
A large pharmaceutical firm has used help from the course developers of CTAM 200 to develop a comprehensive asset management program for their underground utilities.
They own steam, chilled water, potable water, wastewater, storm water, fire protection, and irrigation lines.