WASHINGTON--As job openings across the nation call for employees to upgrade skill
sets, professional credentials play a significant role in helping
employers find the right people to fill those opportunities, while
helping employees become established and advance in their careers.
In recognition of the growing need for highly skilled employees,
President Obama recently announced an expansion of the
Skills
for America’s Future program. This initiative partners community
colleges with industries to ensure that the nation’s workforce has the
necessary skills and training to fill existing and future jobs in the
manufacturing sector. For job seekers, securing recognized credentials
that acknowledge their abilities can be critical to obtaining employment
and advancing within their careers.
“Certification matters. Professional credentials provide employers and
employees with recognition for the time and training undertaken to
develop expertise within a specific field,” said Melissa Murer Corrigan,
President of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE).
“Certification may positively impact company profitability and provide
employees with nationally portable credentials that set them apart when
seeking a new job or advancing within their current organization.”
The White House’s recent focus on building employee skills is timely,
especially for the nation’s manufacturing workforce. The sector has seen
significant growth over the last two years, with more than 230,000
jobs created since the beginning of 2010. An aging
manufacturing workforce is also driving the sense of urgency behind
this effort. Many current employees are likely to retire within the next
10 years. Without training and credentialing programs to prepare younger
workers and acknowledge their abilities, the manufacturing sector will
struggle to fill job openings with properly-skilled employees.
To help establish a credentialing system that is valued by employers,
The Manufacturing Institute – the education and research affiliate of
the National
Association of Manufacturers (NAM) – recently partnered with a
number of manufacturing firms and associations to create the
NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System. This program
offers competency-based, customized education that leads to stackable,
industry-recognized manufacturing credentials valued by a wide range of
manufacturing employers throughout the nation. The broad reach of the
Manufacturing Skills Certification System allows students and workers to
access education through community colleges in 31 states.
“A skilled workforce is critical to our nation’s economic recovery,”
said Emily Stover DeRocco, President of The Manufacturing Institute. “We
are working with community colleges across the country to establish
educational pathways that integrate the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing
Skills Certification System into for-credit programs of study to provide
the skills needed most by local manufacturers. As employers recognize
the value of the Manufacturing Skills Certification System, they can
hire certified candidates with confidence while maintaining the quality
of their products and the pace of their operations.”
Credentials obtained through ICE
Member organizations or through programs such as the Manufacturing
Skills Certification System offer value for any individuals seeking to
enter into or advance within a meaningful career in their industry of
choice.
About the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and the National
Commission for Certifying Agencies
Established in 1977, ICE (formerly the National Organization for
Competency Assurance) is the leading international membership
organization representing the credentialing community. ICE fulfills its
mission through the delivery of education and training programs, in
setting quality standards for credentialing, and by providing
accreditation services through its accreditation division, the National
Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The ICE membership is
composed of credentialing organizations, testing companies, and
individual professional development consultants. ICE and NCCA are based
in Washington, DC. For further information, please visit www.credentialingexcellence.org.
About The Manufacturing Institute
The Manufacturing Institute is the non-profit, non-partisan affiliate of
the National Association of Manufacturers. It is part think-tank, part
solutions center. The NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification
System is the flagship education initiative of the manufacturing sector,
integrating nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials into
high school, community college, and university programs of study. The
NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System is comprised of
nationally portable, industry-wide career-readiness and technical
certifications from ACT, the American Welding Society (AWS), the
Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), the National Institute of
Metalworking Skills (NIMS), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers
(SME).
Contacts
