Architectural Glass & Metal Technician Program Certifies 1000th Glazier

This past August, the Architectural Glass & Metal Technician program, North America’s only ANSI-accredited, third-party assessment of an experienced glazier’s knowledge and abilities, certified its 1,000th glazier since the program began in 2019. AGMT assessments verify the knowledge, skills, and abilities of experienced glaziers who have completed a prerequisite 7,500 glazing work hours.

About the 1,000th certified glazier

Mike Marye, an Indianapolis glazier, and member of IUPAT District Council 91, successfully completed both a Knowledge-Based Test and Hands-On Performance-Based Test, the two assessments required to earn certification. Marye works for Hoosier Glass Co. of Indianapolis.

“I wanted to make sure I’m installing up to a high standard, and it was reassuring passing the tests,” says Marye.

A glazier since 2005, Marye felt his experience adequately prepared him for both the written and hands-on assessments. He also credited IUPAT Glazing Instructor Rodney Miller for providing training courses in advance to refresh candidates’ familiarity with systems they may not install frequently. In total, six glaziers from Indianapolis earned AGMT certification on the same day.

About the assessments and staff

AGMT assessments verify the knowledge, skills, and abilities of experienced glaziers who have completed a prerequisite 7,500 glazing work hours. Candidates must properly install glazing systems and components, including storefront and entrance doors, curtain wall, structural sealing, and weather sealing, and must also demonstrate ability to interpret construction documents, knowledge of quality control and failure prevention, and site- and glazing-specific safety principles. To facilitate hands-on installations, standardized test rigs are transported to testing locations across North America, where a professional team of examiners grades candidates under an ANSI-accredited process that adheres to the ISO/IEC 17024 standards.

AGMT Field Operations Manager Jason Simonette administered the tests, while AGMT Examiner John Dzierzynski facilitated the hands-on assessment. Both bring extensive construction backgrounds to their roles and agree that certification offers confidence to glaziers, employers, architects, and builders because it reinforces competency and quality installations.

What the experts say

“I believe AGMT is the most comprehensive glazing certification program in North America,” says Dzierzynski, who has been in the glazing industry since the 1980s.

“Along with [North American Contractor Certification], these two programs will produce the most highly qualified glazing contractors and technicians.” says Simonette. “In a high-risk, precise industry such as glazing, an important part of the AGMT test is making sure people properly use PPE so they go home safely every day.”

“Certification is intended to provide assurance to building owners, general contractors, and other construction project stakeholders that the glazier can perform work in a manner that minimizes defects and failures and conforms to customer requirements,” says AGMT Program Administrator Jeff Dalaba. “AGMT emphasizes mitigating defects in glazing systems, which can be costly and difficult to repair after installation, supporting a stronger construction industry and better project outcomes.”