What You Learn at CPO®

In Blog by Timothy Petsch

I have been teaching CPO® classes for close to 2 decades now and one of the constants I have heard is the 2-day course is just too short! When I consider the massive amount of additional information that is now packed in those 2 days, I cannot but agree.

Truth is, the folks we are teaching and the companies they work for, simply do not have the luxury to allow their people to take 3 to 4 days off,

So, what is the answer.

First, we must understand “What you learn at CPO®” right?

Let’s first acknowledge that it is simply impossible to learn how to operate a pool and know all the local, state, and federal standards and regulations in two long days, (or even 3 or 4) let alone water chemistry and equipment function.

I would offer that the first obligation of the instructor is to get the workbooks to the student with enough time before the class so that the student can become familiar with the contents.

Second, is for the instructor to recommend that the student bring highlighters and sticky notes to the class

Why? Because there are two objectives for the student to achieve at the class

  1. Learn as much as is feasibly possible, and, as importantly, know where to find the information in the workbook (hence the markers and sicky notes), for the open book test. This is to reach the first objective, which is to pass the course and become CPO® certified
  2. Once the class is completed, the second objective is to know the workbook well enough to be able to use it on an as needed basis, as a valuable resource for the student to manage their day-to-day responsibilities.

If you run a commercial pool and do not have a current CPO® certification, I strongly suggest you enroll in a class, either virtual or in person (I do favor the in-person classes) class as soon as you can.

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