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Technical training certification programs – be it for engineering, welding, cosmetology, mechatronics or any other trade – are vital for schools to secure funding and comply with state and federal education requirements.
But how much does certification matter in the hiring process?
I am often asked “Will certifications really put my students ahead in terms of their employability and earning potential?”
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The short answer is yes, but only to a certain extent. Ultimately, this depends on you, the educator.
The value of a certification is only as good as the industry’s understanding of what that certification entails and an employer’s understanding of what skill sets will be added to their workforce by hiring individuals with that certification.
Common programs like ASE (Automotive Service Excellence), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and AWS Certified Welder certifications have an established reputation in industry so students graduating with those certifications are looked at more favorably than those who don’t.
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“It is the responsibility of the educator to ensure students get the most value out of the mechatronics certifications.”
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However, this isn’t always necessarily the case with mechatronics certifications.
Because mechatronics is still in its infancy and there is no global industry standard for education, most employers don’t know exactly what a mechatronics certification entails.
In these cases, it is the responsibility of the educator to ensure students get the most value out of the mechatronics certifications they receive.
How? By meeting with local manufacturing-based companies – from small mom and pop tool shops to large companies like Boeing or Toyota – to explain the certifications you offer.
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Whether you’re the CTE Administrator for a public high school district or the Director of Workforce Development at a community college or university, it is important to have an open dialogue with local industry to explain:
- The level of understanding your mechatronics certified students have of automation systems, PLCs, fluid power components, mechanical concepts, electrical concepts – and how all these concepts tie together in a systems-based approach
- The skill sets your mechatronics certified students have that will add value to the local economy
- How a mechatronics certification can best meet the needs of individual local employers
- How your school and industry can work together to produce students will a robust education that will meet the future needs of industry
At the end of the day, it’s not the piece of paper that matters, but rather the skill sets that students have gained. Without clearly communicating the value of those skills sets to local industry, that piece of paper won’t hold much weight.
