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We can all remember that infamous first day back at school, and the teacher was waiting impatiently for us to finish The Writing Assignment - What I Did on My Summer Vacation. Let us fast forward to the end of the 2010 summer. If you were asked what you did with your summer, what might you be able to say?

Readers discuss issue of BPI certification.

With the unemployment rate currently hovering just under 10 percent, it may be relatively easy to find workers right now. But, considering the aging national demographics, you may want to evaluate your company’s readiness for a tight labor market. Here are some questions to consider.

In the July 5 and Sept. 6 issues of The NEWS, there is going to be a lot of talk about food and drink. Much of the material comes from the Food Marketing Institute’s FMI 2010 and the 2010 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show®. A major topic at these shows was food and drink safety.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the Home STAR legislation, which will invest $6 billion in a rebate program for homeowners who perform energy-efficiency upgrades. Meanwhile, a parallel bill is being considered, called Building STAR. Passage of a comprehensive energy/climate bill in 2010 remains uncertain.

As good ideas become old ideas, some will stand the test of time, and some will not. A good old idea that seems to be gathering momentum, especially as governmental bodies seek ways to ensure that equipment efficiency promises can be delivered upon, is the idea of installed quality.

Everyone learns in different ways, and researchers have categorized the variety of learning styles into three main categories: listening learners; seeing learners; touch and experience learners. There are huge advantages to knowing how each member of your team learns so you can provide training that matches their style.

Lately I have wondered if something is missing in the education some business owners receive. Let’s call it Accountability 101. The training should have started in childhood, the first time you made a mistake and Mom, Dad, or another authority figure asked if you did it.

How many of you do any business training for your service technicians and installers? I’m guessing not very many. However, how many of you have ever been asked by one of those service technicians or installers regarding the fact that you charge at least $90–130 per hour and yet he only takes home $25 per hour?

Home Star is a proposed new national weatherization incentive program. There is one issue associated with the wording of the bill which troubles me, and no disrespect intended to the Building Performance Institute (BPI), but where are the other certifying and/or accrediting bodies such as North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and HVAC Excellence.