National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies
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The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) is an organization that was established in 1961 to create a recognized certification for engineering technicians and technologist within the United States. In 1981 an NCHRP Research Study requested by the AASHTO SCOC prompted the National Society for Professional Engineers to merge two certification bodies; the Institute for the Certification of Engineering Technicians (ICET) and the Engineering Technologist Certification Institute; in order to create a nonprofit that provides a nationally recognized and accepted procedure for recognition of qualified engineering technicians and technologists.
NICET is a not for profit division of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).
The NICET registration process is separated into two class distinctions with subcategories and several specialized areas of focus. The titles of the "Certified Engineering Technician" and "Certified Engineering Technologist" are the primary designations. The subcategories are further specialized by focus. The titles chosen for these subcategories are known as Civil Engineering or Electrical/Mechanical Systems. Within the subcategories the disciplines are refined to address a selected area of expertise and are limited by categories that do not cover all areas of Technology.
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[edit] The Value of NICET's Certification Programs
The Value of NICET's Certification Programs NICET's nationally recognized certification programs lay out a path for career advancement from entry to senior level responsibilities. Designed by industry experts to provide engineering technology fields with a qualified workforce, programs are increasingly used by employers and specifiers to measure job skills and knowledge.
[edit] Technician Certification
Technician certification requires testing (written, multiple choice) and documentation including a work history, recommendations, and, for most programs, supervisor verification of specific experience.
[edit] Technologist Certification
Technologist certification requires a 4-year engineering technology degree (no testing required), and at the advanced level, documentation including a work history and endorsements.
[edit] Training certificates?
Many training courses offer certificates of completion at the end of the session. Some of these are given for attendance, while some require a test on the material that had been presented. While these can be valuable for the particular skills or knowledge covered in the course, NICET's professional certification is based on testing that covers a broad range of job knowledge, verification of job performance, and an evaluation of work experience. NICET certification represents, not a course outcome, but a career level.
[edit] Credibility
The private control of a technologist registration has led to a loss of credibility for registered professionals. The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) developed the NICET certification program because they oppose legal recognition of technologist by the United States government through a licensing program. The absence of government oversight has led to competing ideologies from societies with different perspectives on what represents the qualities of a Technologist. The lack of a unified voice has led to a confusion that makes it unclear to determine which ideology would be best to represent the United States in signing the Sydney Accord.
The Technologist title from NICET is controversial because it doesn't require an examination for registration at the Technologist level. However, it does insist individuals sit for examination at the Technician levels. The Technologist registration requires that an individual will have graduated from a university that is ABET/TAC accredited and provide evidence of appropriate experience. The NICET organization and certifications do not have government oversight, which allows the organization to make its own rules.
[edit] Exclusions
NICET excludes Technologist registration for individuals who have graduated from applied science programs or those who obtained valid education from non-ABET/TAC universities recognized by CHEA or the US Department of Education. Open registration concepts that may rely on examinations and/or experiential qualifications would improve the acceptance of the NICET certifications.
Some program accreditations that are excluded from the NICET program are the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT), the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technologies (ACCSCT), or other non-ABET/TAC institutions that are exclusively regionally accredited.
[edit] Job Placement
The Technologist term is an unknown commodity within the United States and it is not clearly understood by employers so Technologist are inappropriately placed in positions as technicians. Usually, a Technologist is required to have a Bachelors Degree.
Employers and engineers incorrectly determine that Technologists are inferior graduates because their training in design issues is shorter than most engineer degrees. A Technologist curriculum may focus on other specialized issues such as technical management, service, processes, or production improvements. In many cases a technologist maybe better suited to fill a position than a design engineer. Industrial Technology is considered to be a career path that is separate from engineering technology and equal in stature to an engineer. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) acknowledges the different accreditations in technology and engineering as independent career paths which cannot be compared, just as psychology cannot be compared to engineering.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics had the following to say about technologist.
- “Many 4-year colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in engineering technology, but graduates of these programs often are hired to work as technologists or applied engineers, not technicians." (BLS,2006)
Use of NICET certification varies according to needs determined by employers, specifiers, and local government. Specific certification requirements established throughout the United States vary by engineering technology fields in various states and localities. Some areas may require a NICET certification as a subset of choices for credentialing as condition for employment. Often an engineering tecchnology degree is used in lieu of a technician certification in areas where they deem a four year engineering technology degree to have more value than a technician certification earned through work history and testing requirements.
Often conditions for employment vary depending on the areas ability to fulfill their staff requirements. In some cases NICET certification cannot be used because the areas workforce may not be able to pass the technician exams.
[edit] Sources
- NICET - Technologist Programs Application Forms and Procedures - retrieved on (7/7/06).
- Wilder, P. (2000) Accreditation Reclassification: Expanding the Perspective - retrieved on August 28, 2006.
- NSPE (2006) NSPE Issue Brief: Engineering Technology Publication #4049 - retrieved on Sept 4, 2006.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor - Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Engineering Technicians - visited August 07, 2006.
