Does the CAP program really set ISA apart?

From an ISA news release: CAP Sets ISA Apart Certification Program Helps to Define Automation Profession Research Triangle Park, NC (20 September 2005) -- As the organization that sets the standard for automation, ISA's signature certification program - Certified Automation Professional (CAP) - will play a critical role in the future of the automation industry. The jury is still well out on this. It is to be hoped that ISA isn't pinning its survival hopes on CAP. Personally, while I admire the idea of CAP, it comes twenty years too late, and will not likely change the minds of anyone in any corporations who are hiring our colleagues. The CAP program represents the first certification for the automation field. This kind of Public Relations nonsense is bad for ISA, and it isn't even true. Even ISA has certified Analyzer professionals, technicians, and so forth. Companies have provided certification of competence for years. As the first step in the development of the program, ISA completed a feasibility study to survey the market regarding the proposed certification. The CAP feasibility study supported the concept of worker differentiation through certification in the automation field. According to the employers surveyed, 77% believed certification would enhance recognition and respect for individuals working in the field. 64% of the employer respondents agreed that salary, remuneration, and benefits should increase for certified automation professionals. So why aren't any of those employers lining up to insist that their employees take the exams? C'mon, folks. ISA isn't going to save itself with the CAP program. Walt