ISA Certified Control Systems Technician, of any value?

Hi folks,
Just wondering if anyone has any comments on this program. I see ads for it in almost all of the controls magazines, and was curious if anyone had looked into it.

thanks,

Ken

I donno Ken, but I'm sure it couldnt hurt. Anyway a good resume, with good referencees ALWAYS helps..


http://www.isa.org/Content/Navigati...ers/Certification/Certification_Licensure.htm

Depends on how you want to use it. If you're using it as a standard to hire someone, I'm not so sure its the greatest idea. We made a mistake of hiring someone in our instrumentation department, who went to a top I&C school, and is now working as a line operator. So this cert. alone may not mean much to a lot of employers eyes. Especially the ones who are more concerned with work ethic, integrity, and trainability.

If you want to use the ISA cert for your existing employees, to bring them up to the same level, sure I think it's a great idea. It's something we're considering doing. I have found in our field to a certain degree, that certifications and degrees don't mean as much as they do in other fields. If you're a person that can get the job done, effectively, a lot of the time education is secondary.

Just my opinion,

Greg

Since it's an international organization, it will basically make an impression to the employer. Your resume get a plus chance not to end up in trash can or shredder. But I agree with Greg, it still depends on your qualifications, education, etc..

I've been looking at the ISA site since this post went up.

If anyone has taken any of the ISA courses and is willing to answer a few questions, please PM me.

I have a meeting in three hours (now 10:10 am, Central Time), and I'd like a little personal input before then.

What I'd like to know is the quality of the courses and their usefulness for field technicians. This includes the entire CCST and CCSE certification programs.

Thanks in advance for any takers. If you can take a short phone call, as well, please leave your telephone number in the PM. If you leave your number, please also leave your name, so I'm not calling and asking the receptionist to talk to "DonsDaMan" or suchlike, if you know what I mean.

I can assure you I'll lose your number as soon as we're done with the conversation. (Why should your number be any different from the multitude of other things I lose so easily?)

I am a CCST Level 1

It thas been useful for me. It does look good on a resume. It also leads people not to talk down to you. It was a four hour test that was open book. I felt violated afterward. Open book doesn't bother me, because part of the job is knowing how to find the information to fix a problem. As to the courses, it depends on the experience of the tech. If there is some area that is a deficiency, then I suggest taking the class needed. I learned the most from a pneumatics class. It really laid in the basics of instruemntation. Plus it is helpful when you run into an older plant. I put together a plan to train techs and determine what classes that would have to be taken. It really just boiled down to having the tech take the practice test cold and going from there. I am getting ready to take ISA's CAP test. THis will lend more credability to those of us who are more than instrument techs and don't have the 4 year degree.

ISA Certs are useless

I worked for Pfizer back in the 90's and they were handing our level III's like they were candy as long as you had your Supervisor/Superintedant sign it, grandfathering you in. I saw plenty of average electricians instantly become Level III I&C Techs at the stroke of a pen.

my 02

Funny you mention that. That is the firm I am on contract to currently(Pfizer). And I agree about their designations. None of these guys could hope to pass the exams that are used in these certifications.

I may look into the CAP now to add to my resume.

David

elevmike said:

http://www.isa.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Professionals_and_Practitioners/Certification/Certification_Licensure.htm

Click to expand...

link dead???or is it just me?

Fred Raud

DonsDaMan said:

I've been looking at the ISA site since this post went up.

If anyone has taken any of the ISA courses and is willing to answer a few questions, please PM me.

I have a meeting in three hours (now 10:10 am, Central Time), and I'd like a little personal input before then.

What I'd like to know is the quality of the courses and their usefulness for field technicians. This includes the entire CCST and CCSE certification programs.

Thanks in advance for any takers. If you can take a short phone call, as well, please leave your telephone number in the PM. If you leave your number, please also leave your name, so I'm not calling and asking the receptionist to talk to "DonsDaMan" or suchlike, if you know what I mean.

I can assure you I'll lose your number as soon as we're done with the conversation. (Why should your number be any different from the multitude of other things I lose so easily?)

Click to expand...

210-421-2625,,just ask for Poppa Boner,,

Fred Raud

hee hee

Fred Raud said:

link dead???or is it just me?

Fred Raud

Click to expand...

That one is dead try this one