I can't even begin to identify the number of licensees, degree designations, and certifications that are out there in the industry. We have Professional Engineers (PE), Chartered Engineer (CPEng), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Juris Doctor (JD), Project Management Professionals (PMP), Certified Cost Engineers (CCE), Managing & Scheduling Professional (PSP), Certified Cost Consultant (CCC), Earned Value Professional (EVP), Interim Cost Consultant (ICC), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Forensic Claims Consultant (CFCC), etc, etc. I have to admit, looking at my own business card; I sometimes think I will have to choose between the address or the certifications! But seriously, why are there so many certifications and should we encourage them?

While people laugh at my card when I give it to them and while I meet so many people that think certifications are just ridiculous and are merely another way for an employee to get a pay raise, I think many are just missing the importance of these "initials." Most people miss the underlying effort that it takes to get to that point and that having any of these "initials" is a benefit not only to the individual and the employer, but also to the industry. Take the area of CPM scheduling: I published a paper a couple years ago regarding an industry survey on individuals doing schedules on construction projects. While there are common terms and understanding of CPM terminology, the overwhelming response was that there was no consistency in the methodologies in CPM scheduling and clearly a difference in the way CPM scheduling was taught. Thus, the PSP certification is a means of assuring a consistency in knowledge. Certifications are a key aspect to providing a level of consistent knowledge in a particular subject no matter where the person lives in the world and no matter what his or her education degree.

Another reason for encouraging everyone to move ahead with obtaining "initials" after his or her name is lifelong learning. Obviously in order to obtain a higher degree, or a license or a certification one must study and learn about a particular subject. By doing so, one improves his or her own knowledge, provides the employer with more capability and improves the industry by being able to apply that new knowledge.

Another important aspect to licensure is "professionalism" and the recognition that one should be "proud" of the industry that they serve as well as demonstrating to the public that one is qualified to perform the service rendered. Opportunities are also opened to those who demonstrate their abilities to learn and to achieve. Credentials can be very important as one never knows what the future may bring and what skills or knowledge may be required. Credentials may also be essential for certain jobs such as expert witnesses or when designing or overseeing a project or team.

Finally, one cannot stress the basic philosophy of mentoring. By encouraging young people to achieve and to go beyond their initial degree—whether it is by a higher degree, a license or a certification in a particular area, there is a certain "bond" that forms between the mentor and the mentee. Not only can the mentor "give back" by helping others to achieve, but in the end, one can be proud to look back at the achievements of others knowing that they may have participated in a small part of that effort, improving the industry as well as the individual.

So what do certifications mean? They mean different things to different people. However, no matter what the reason, and no matter how funny it may look to have multiple initials after your name, those initials convey a level of commitment to the industry and to the profession in which one serves. In the end, everyone benefits.

March 20, 2007

A critical need for licensure is not in academia but rather is in licensing of engineers who design products (electrical, mechanical, aerospace) but are not required to have licenses. A recent example is the recent accidents and recalls of laptop batteries. Other examples include vehicle recalls and NASA mishaps.

For these products, the current practice relies on independent tesing companies such as Underwriters Laboratories(R). Yet, even thorough testing can miss fundamental flaws in designs that lack adequate engineering, e.g. a safety factor, fail-safe mode, fault-tolerance, etc

Kenyon Potter

March 9 , 2007

College dropout with the lack of wall Certs and Diplomas…

Dexter Murphy, PE, CPE, PMP
Chief Estimator
A-Z Corp.

March 7, 2007

One of the benefits to higher education is that certification exams allow us to benchmark the success of our programs. At the University of Central Missouri, we require our seniors to take the American Institute of Constructors (AIC) 8 hour associate constructors (AC) exam. In addition to analyzing the student's scores in such areas as estimating, scheduing, safety and communication, to name a few, we get to discuss program deficiencies with the student. I took the exam a few years back and was able to improve many of my classes. After working a number of years in the industry in increasingly responsible positions, the AC can take the second 8 hour exam and become a Certified Professional Constructor (CPC).

Richard Bruce

March 2, 2007

I agree with your thoughts on certification. Our "CPE" program for construction estimators,takes the average person over 1 year to get through with the requirements to take workshops, two exams (500 and 200 questions) and to write a 2500 word thesis. No wonder the GSA has acknowledged their wanting to see this on budget number submittals.

Edward Walsh

March 2, 2007

Credentials are important. They may convey a sense of accomplishment. Certainly the professional engineering license exam is the most rigorous: one is dealing with people's lives here. As the 19th Century drew to a close, there were a series of unfortunate structural failures particularly with bridge collapses. This forced the profession of engineering to confront shortcomings in technical and construction practices. The formal credential of professional licensure of engineers to practice became a mandatory requirement with each of the 50 states. Up until approximately twenty years ago, one could be "grandfathered" into licensure based on years of practice but it is believed each state has rightfully eliminated this possibility. All must test! And I would agree with Walt Tack, the 8 hour test requires a meticulous understanding of engineering and expertise. That said, one can look at another viewpoint. Some statistical information is in order. Source data: PMI Today February 2007 Supplement, page 4. As of Dec 31 2006, the Project Management Institute had 225,432 members with total active Project Management Professionals (PMPs) 221,144. Therefore, percentage of PMPs to members >98.098%. What does this statistic imply about this certification credential? I really don't know; the answer to that question is for each to decide.

Dexter Murphy PE CPE PMP

March 2, 2007

As VP of our company I can see the value of degrees and/or certification to a point. My career begin in the aerospace industry where I witnessed great discoveries by people with only a B.S. degree or less but with the ability to think outside the box due to their work ethic. For me I think all the certs & knowledge mean nothing if the only reason we pursue them is to increase our personal bottom line. Corporate philosophies support more certs as a CYA strategy. It used to be that people worked first and were rewarded after a good job. Now with all the certs & degrees employers hiring good help have to wade through all the cocky intellects wanting the whole pie before they even do anything. Give me 1 good CPA, 1 PE, and 1 Attorney and I submit that most of your other employees will make you rich without having to pay for a bunch of overly degreed & certified lazy intellects. I am a firm believer of the old saying reletive to learning: "Them that can, do. Them that can't teach." While we all need as much education as possible I think we as companies need more doers and a few less thinkers who tell as doers how to get it done.

Craig Rawlins

March 1, 2007

I have been in the industry for over 20 years. I myself am a PE (Professional Engineer) and am currently pursuing LEED Acreditation with the USGBC. That said, I believe that it is risky to roll all Certifications, Licenses and Acreditations together into one group and profess that they all have comparable levels of value. My PE was a lcense that took significant time and energy to attain. I studied long and hard and pushed through quite a stack of paper work in order to get there. However, while my PE demonstrates a level of knowledge and understanding, I would not say that all PEs have comparable levels of knowledge. I have run across some PEs that are very knowledgable and their abilities exceed my own. I have run across others, that made me wonder where they got their stamps. The LEED Acreditation on the other hand involves a few weeks of study and a 2 hour exam. Although, I have not yet passed it, I do not anticipate that it will be nearly as difficult as the 8 hour PE exam. I have also witnessed others with limited skills in a given area that have obtained certification from a given organization. So much so, that I have decided that that particular registration is not wrthy of pursuit. Bottom line is that not all certificaiotns are created equal. Some truly demonstrate a significant level of ability, others are not worth the paper that they are written on. Choose your certificaitons wisely.

Walt Tack
Reynolds Construction

March 1, 2007

The certifications, by themselves, mean little except that a person has met the minimum standards needed to attain them. Experience, interest and personal effort are more important factors in professional development. I've known world-class engineers with only a BS and no registration, and also people with several degrees and certifications who can be classified as mediocre at best. Some clients can be impressed by credentials, and that is why I list them after my name. However, I am much more impressed by a person's record of achievements than by any degree or certification.

Jose A. Marti, PE, DEE

February 28, 2007

Congratulations to Pat on her appointment as a Director to the National Science Board.

While in Hong Kong about 12 years ago I spent a day with the director and several members of Hong Kong's engineering board of registration. I don't recall the exact name. I was received business cards from the gentlemen that I met. Their cards contained all their technical affiliations, degrees, etc. They did not use "initials" but spelled out the entire name of the organization or certification. The list sometimes spilled over to the back side of the business card.

Upon return I modified my business card to add my degrees, licenses and technical society memberships. I also had my employees do the same.

Joe Litvin

February 28, 2007

Special certifications are increasing among many professions, not just the engineering community. What they shout out, loud and clear, is that the individual is very dedicated to their profession and diligently strives to increase personal knowledge and expertise in a special focus that will enable them to make a value-plus contribution to their clients, employers and co-workers. These types of individuals are usually also proactive in belonging to professional associations and committees. They often attend conferences and seminars that keep them updated on important trends and happenings in their industry.

Kathleen Feeley