October 2008-
Certification, Recertification and the Value of NABCEP
By Ezra Auerbach
In this issue, I want to use my column to ask questions rather than to provide news.
In previous issues, I’ve written about the growth of NABCEP and some of the strategic planning challenges facing us. NABCEP is doing well, our new management team, spearheaded by Executive Director Rebecca Eaton, hit the ground running and have brought a host of new resources to the table.
“Market” response has shown us that NABCEP certification and Certificate of Knowledge programs are both necessary and welcomed by a wide sampling of stakeholders. Many manufacturers offer NABCEP continuing education (CE) credits when they conduct dealer training sessions; the growth of the number of institutions offering the Certificate of Knowledge and the number of students taking the exam is beyond our most optimistic planning scenarios. And every month, yet another Public Benefits Fund releases language which recognizes or encourages NABCEP certification.
A careful reader will note that I left the core of NABCEP out of the previous paragraph – working professionals who hold our certification(s). It’s clear that everyone who holds our certification(s) has worked hard to earn their certification number(s) – and we see most certificants proudly advertising their achievement. We do have “market” response there, too; the numerical growth in the number of individuals who hold NABCEP’s PV Installer Certification is gratifying. The uptake in the plumbing industry is much slower and many of our solar thermal certificants also hold PV Installer Certifications – truly well-rounded solar professionals.
Certificants, I singled you out because I learn more from you about the value(s) you see in holding NABCEP Certification. As Chair of NABCEP, I work with our Board and Staff to plan the evolution of our certification programs. In that role, I need to be careful to evaluate if our proposed growth meshes with evolution of the renewable energy markets we serve. In order to keep balance, we need clarity on the evolving needs of our certificants as well.
We have some strong and vocal board members who spend most business days with tools in their hands and they do a very good job of representing the interests on working installers. They don’t have the ability to speak the words and thoughts of their professional colleagues. I would like to invite all of our certificants to take a few moments and put into words your views on holding a NABCEP certification.
I’d like to hear from you about the value of NABCEP certification: what is best about being a certificant, what could NABCEP do to improve; what certificants could do to improve. Your input will help NABCEP staff and Board learn more about the needs and thoughts of our certificants, our “core customer.” This information is vital to ensuring that certificants requirements are a vital and visible part of our ongoing planning efforts.
I look forward to hearing from you. Send your thoughts and comments to me at Chair@nabcep.org