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ISA joins Manufacturing Skills Certification System with CCST and CAP certifications

07/08/2011

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. - The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced  that it is partnering with the Manufacturing Institute to bring automation and control systems certifications to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)-endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System (SCS). The partnership adds ISA's Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) and Certified Automation Professional (CAP) certification programs to the SCS offerings.

The partnership is a continuation of work begun three years ago between the Automation Federation (AF) and NAM. ISA is the founding sponsor of the Automation Federation. NAM participated with AF and the U.S. Department of Labor in the development of the Automation Competency Model. AF promoted the NAM-endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System as part of its work with the Piedmont Triad Partnership in North Carolina, USA. NAM is the largest U.S. industrial trade association and represents small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector in all 50 states.

The SCS was established by the Manufacturing Institute to develop the nation's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-capable workforce for advanced manufacturing. Among the goals of the partnership with ISA are to align these portable, industry-recognized credentials with educational curricula and pathways in grades K-12, and in community and four-year colleges' programs of study that lead to high-wage, high-growth technical careers; to provide information on these educational pathways that leads to advanced manufacturing or automation career pathways; to help connect students and workers to lifelong learning and advancement opportunities; to ensure that advanced manufacturing employers and automation professionals recognize the value of these credentials in their recruitment, screening and hiring processes by recognizing, preferring or requiring portable, industry-recognized credentials.

"As manufacturing leads the way to economic recovery, now is the time to expand the SCS and the educational pathways to careers in our profession. We know automation is key to driving productivity and quality across all sectors of manufacturing," said Emily Stover DeRocco, president of the Manufacturing Institute.  "After careful consideration by the SCS Approval Committee, we were pleased to extend an invitation to ISA to join the system, with the ISA Certified Control Systems Technician and Certified Automation Professional certifications."

Leo Staples, president of ISA, said, "I am pleased that the Manufacturing Institute has invited ISA to be a partner in building the automation workforce and expanding the NAM-endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System, which plays a vital role in the future of manufacturing around the world."

The Manufacturing Institute is the 501 (c) 3 affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. It focuses on developing human capital strategies through education reform and workforce development, conducting applied research to provide critical information to public policy makers on challenges and opportunities for today's industry, and advancing the innovation capacity of manufacturers operating in a global market.