A whole new year, a whole new decade, a whole new NSTC card

Have you heard? Electronic NSTC cards are coming in 2020! Here are 5 things to know about the new and improved electronic NSTC cards

December 17th 2019
By: KJ

Out with the old, in with the new – Beginning January 1, 2020 new electronic NSTC cards will begin being issued. Individuals taking the NSTC Unescorted course, or an NSTC Job Specific course will be issued a Temporary NSTC card by the Instructor who taught the class. Temporary NSTC Cards are valid for 90 days – After the Alaska Safety Alliance receives completion information from the NSTC Instructor, we work our magic behind the scenes to get your training profile created and updated, and a new electronic NSTC Card printed and shipped directly to you.

What’s so great about electronic cards? A lot! With the new NSTC e-cards, training data is stored in the secure Alaska Safety Alliance database, allowing for quick verification of NSTC training. Once training data has been uploaded into the ASA database, the Alaska Safety Alliance can quickly verify NSTC training, and issue replacement electronic cards as needed. Workers with electronic NSTC cards can also log into the ASA system to update their user information, take other HSE training, and more!

But I like my paper NSTC card… There’s nothing wrong with staying retro – Just make sure you don’t lose your old paper card! Current NSTC cardholders are not required to update to the new electronic card. However, if you lose your old paper card it can be a real challenge to verify your original training, and it may result in having to retake the Unescorted course. Because of this, paper NSTC cardholders may choose to proactively replace their old paper NSTC card to an e-card. To update to an e-card, contact the Alaska Safety Alliance directly. If your previous NSTC training can be verified via signed course roster or historical data provided by NSTC Third Party Providers, you will be issued a new electronic NSTC card. 

Note: Members of the NSTC Operators Group will accept the following items as proof of NSTC training: old NSTC paper cards issued before 1/1/20, the new Temporary NSTC card issued on or after 1/1/20, and the new electronic NSTC card. 

Why does this NSTC card look so different? With the rollout of electronic NSTC cards, we also rebranded the entire NSTC program. The old hand-drawn safety colored NSTC logo had a great 20+ year run, but with the modernization of NSTC it was time for a change. Beginning January 1, 2020 all NSTC Instructors should be using the updated curriculum material with the new NSTC logo and issuing the new Temporary NSTC cards. 

This sounds like a lot of change… Yes, things are changing – but without change, there is no progress. And we acknowledge that there will be learning curves and lessons learned as we continue to modernize the North Slope Training Cooperative. The Alaska Safety Alliance team is here to help you navigate this change. Please contact ASA with any questions you may have. We can be reached via phone (907)770-5250 or email NSTC@AlaskaSafetyAlliance.org

About KJ

KJ Crawford serves as ASA’s Programs Manager and resident “cat herder.” With a master’s degree in organizational management, KJ is known for her color-coding and attention to detail as she facilitates committee meetings, addresses instructor inquires and audits, and manages ASA’s course scheduling. With a background in education, outreach, training and development, KJ enjoys leveraging technology to create comprehensive training resources.

Read more by KJ

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