RE: certification

[MList -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com]

> From: eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com

> Perhaps the generalist organisation [STC] should not offer 
> certification but be a
> driving force to implement techwriter certification in the 
> inductry groups. It
> could serve as a top level integrator or repository of 
> available industry
> certification programs. Much like relationship of ANSI to the 
> ASME, SAE, IFI,
> and other organisations.

Now, are these envisioned as certifications that one acquires 
only by dint of having paid one's dues in the respective industry 
(either as TW or engineer or...)??

Or, are these to be certifications that any old TW could 
study for -- BEFORE ever having set foot into a particular 
industry -- and achieve a piece of paper that says "This 
person has demonstrated the basic knowlege (skills, too?) 
to hit the ground strolling in a TW job in this industry"??

If that needs further beating... would it be a kind of 
certification that you could take on board before you 
lost your current job in your current, declining industry, 
to enable you to credibly make the leap to a new industry?

I do see where there might be some perceived value for certain 
types of staffing drones to fill job requisitions if all they 
had to do was look for clusters of letters after applicants' names. 
What I would *want* to see would be:  "In my capacity as an 
experienced and moderately well compensated TW in my industry... 
what's in it for me when this industry shuts down or moves to China?"

If I can lay out 600 bucks, take delivery of a wad of binders
and CDs, study for a month, write a test, and suddenly be 
qualified to work as an aerospace TW (or whatever flavor is 
in the ascendency where I live)... then I'm in.  If not, then 
what's in it for me, except that I begin to lose out to creeping 
credentialitis?

/kevin

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