DEFINITIONS

What is a training block?
Training Block is defined as 150 classroom-days of training in a twelve-month program. It can mean one employee takes 150 days of training in a twelve-month period, or 15 employees attend 10 days of training per twelve-month period, etc.

What is a Client Club?
This is a group of companies referred to as "partner companies" in a geographic area that subscribe to TUI as a closed local training consortium.

What is an Advisory Board?
"Advisory Board" means a group, comprised of one or two representatives for each partner company in a Client Club, charged with the responsibility of choosing courses to be offered in a Training Program and scheduling classes for each program-year. The Advisory Board will also meet every six (6) months to review the program.

What is a Training Program?
The courses selected by members of a Client Club for a twelve (12) month period.

PROCESS

Can we add courses during the program?
Yes. Program adjustments can occur as part of Advisory Board meetings. No additional cost is incurred if course additions are offset by course deletions in an on-going program. You may also increase the number of training blocks during a program at a prorated cost.

How are Field Trips handled?
The Upstream Institute® provides course instruction, materials, and field lunches. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the clients.

How do you decide on the list of courses offered in a Training Program?
The Upstream Institute® will propose a list of courses to the Advisory Board, which will then agree, by consensus, on the list of courses to be offered in the annual program. This may be reviewed after six months.

What if we cannot provide a facility for a given class?
Partner companies have the option to either host in their corporate facilities or arrange for an offsite venue at their cost. SCA and NeXT will offer the use of their facilities at no cost if they are available.

When do you start your annual program?
Ideally should be March of every year but in reality, the program commences whenever the minimum number of training blocks is sold.

Can I join an existing Client Club after it is already in operation?
Yes, for a proportionately reduced fee. However, you may only attend classes, which have not been fully subscribed, and you will miss out on the opportunity to co-design the program.

How do I get assistance signing up students?
Each Partner Company will appoint an internal TUI Coordinator. Students can register for courses by contacting their TUI coordinator who will in turn notify the TUI Administrative Coordinator through The Upstream Institute® website.

What if we do not utilize all of our allocated training-days?
If you fail to utilize seats in a given class, you may roll them into a future class providing that future class is in the same twelve-month program. Unused seats (training-days) cannot be carried into the second or following twelve-month program.

How many courses are offered in a Training Block?
A training block is comprised of a maximum of 30 to 35 courses. The Advisory Board will decide the actual number of courses.

What is the duration of each class?
Varies from 2 to 5 days.

What if the proposed instructor is not available?
The Upstream Institute® will propose a substitute instructor to the Advisory Board.

Can the course content be modified?
The Upstream Institute® offers high quality and cost-effective courses that are tailored to meet your local needs. In order to offer you affordable and low-cost Training Programs, no major modifications to the course content will be done. However, minor modifications may be done if proposed by the Advisory Board and course participants from the Course Evaluations.

Is there a limit to the number of participants my company can put into a given class?
Each class can hold up to 25 students. Your company is entitled to a proportionate share of those seats based on the number of training blocks you subscribed. You may, however nominate extra seats above your quota in the event other Partner Companies do not utilize their share of seats in that same class.

What if a Partner Company needs more than the allocated number of seats?
Partner companies may trade seats within themselves. However, a second class may be scheduled if the number of requested additional seats exceeds the number of available seats from all partner companies.

What if we want other courses that are not listed in the annual Training Program?
This may be added to the Training Program by the Advisory Board or offered as a private on-site course by either NExT or SCA.

Can non-partner companies attend a scheduled TUI class?
No unless agreed by the Advisory Board.

Can employees from other locations participate in our program?
Yes. A Partner Company may bring employees from any location to their local club; however, they may not host a course outside the local location (e.g. if it requires travel for other Client Club members).

CONTRACTUAL

What are our commitments?
Partner companies agree to purchase a minimum of one training block for a two-year program. Each company also will host their proportional share of courses for their Client Club within their company facilities.

How many training blocks does my company need?
When considering the amount of training to be provided remember to include non-technical personnel and technical assistant or support personnel. We suggest as a rule of thumb, The Upstream Institute® should handle 75% of your training needs. If each individual utilizes 10 training days per year the formula is (# people x 10 days/yr x .75) / 150 days/block = Required Blocks.

What is the minimum number of subscriptions required to start a Client Club?
It depends on the number of training blocks subscribed to by each partner company. The minimum total number of training blocks is 8.

What is the price of a Training Block?
Contact the TUI representatives at bvia@theupstreaminstitute.com or tuedor@theupstreaminstitute.com, for a price quote.

Can my company purchase Training Blocks centrally e.g., in Houston but utilize them in different locations e.g. New Orleans and Calgary?
This may be considered on a case-by-case basis for clients who subscribe to multiple Training Blocks.

What is the benefit of subscribing to TUI?
- TUI courses are guaranteed to hold even if the number of participants is low.
- TUI courses are customized to meet your local needs
- TUI course are more cost-effective i.e., have a lower total training cost than open courses.