Associations Focus: Raising the Bar
Apr 1, 2005 12:00 PM
NSCA systems certification sets high industry standards.
A 30 percent pass rate proves NSCA’s electronic systems technician certification program (C-EST) is setting a high standard of excellence for the commercial electronic systems industry. More than 300 professionals have gone through the systems-based certification program since its debut nearly one year ago.
NSCA currently offers two levels of certification: the C-EST and the recently added certified systems installer (C-SI). Unlike other industry certifications, both C-EST and C-SI candidates must pass a written exam and a hands-on skill verification. Nintey-one C-ESTs have already begun to reap the benefits of this acclaimed credential.
“Having ESTs on my staff has given my company more credibility in my market,” says Mike Dow, president of Zamar Sound in San Jose, Calif. “It has also helped drive our prices where they need to be for our business to continually grow.”
NSCA introduced the C-SI certification at the 2005 Systems Integration Expo. Designed for professionals with one or more years experience, this certification tests basic technical and conceptual knowledge of multiple electronic systems, including low voltage cabling, electrical safety, electrical blueprints, wire and cable terminations, and DC circuits.
“C-SI is the first step in the career path of an electronic systems technician or integrator,” says Norah Hammond, NSCA director of credentialing programs. “Our goal is to provide the industry with better trained professionals at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.”
For more advanced systems integrators, NSCA offers the registered electronic systems integrator credential (R-ESI). The first R-ESI exam will be available in the fall of 2005.
NSCA systems certification is supported by the EST Training Series and Apprenticeship programs. Based on the federally approved standard occupation code for ESTs, this program provides up to four years of classroom-style and hands-on technical training, covering multiple electronic systems.
For more information on the NSCA systems certification and EST Training, visit www.nsca.org/est.
NSCA BUILDING CONNECTIONS
For more information about NSCA, visit www.nsca.org or call (800) 446-6722.
