National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies
Encyclopedia
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
technician
Technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...
s and technologist
Engineering technologist
An engineering technologist, is a specialist devoted to the implementation of existing technology within a field of engineering. Technologists often work with engineers in a wide variety of projects by applying basic engineering principles and technical skills...
within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
A 1981 study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), requested by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' SubCommittee On Construction (AASHTO SCOC), prompted the National Society of Professional Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers
The National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization in the United States. From their press releases:...
(NSPE) to merge two certification bodies; the Institute for the Certification of Engineering Technicians (ICET) and the Engineering Technologist Certification Institute. The result is a nonprofit organization that provides a nationally recognized and accepted procedure for recognition of qualified engineering technicians and technologists.
NICET is a not for profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
division of the 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.
The value the 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.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.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.Training certificates
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 a career level (i.e., not a course outcome). NICET's certification cannot be gained by attendance only.Credibility
There are competing ideologies from societies with different perspectives on what represents the qualities of a Technologist.The Technologist title from NICET does not require an examination for registration at the Technologist level. However, individuals sit for examination at the Technician levels. The Technologist registration requires that an individual will have graduated from a university that is ABET
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
ABET, Inc., formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is a non-profit organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology...
/TAC accredited and provide evidence of appropriate experience.
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
Distance Education and Training Council
The Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...
(DETC), the National Association of Industrial Technology
National Association of Industrial Technology
The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering was formerly known as the National Association of Industrial Technology . ATMAE sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification, and professional development for educators and industry professionals...
(NAIT), the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges is an organization in the United States that provides accreditation to non-university postsecondary colleges. Based in Arlington, Virginia, it is recognized by the United States Department of Education as a private, non-profit, independent...
(ACCSCT), or other non-ABET/TAC institutions that are exclusively regionally accredited.
Job placement
A Technologist curriculum may focus on specialized issues such as technical management, service, processes, or production improvements. The Council for Higher Education AccreditationCouncil for Higher Education Accreditation
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation in order to certify the quality of higher education...
(CHEA) acknowledges the different accreditations in technology and engineering as independent career paths which cannot be compared.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...
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 or similar certification as condition for employment. Often an engineering technology 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.
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 7, 2006.