Mr. McClelland,

	I think, perhaps, you a being a bit unfair to the other Designers
	of the world.  The tone of your comments seems to imply a lack of
	interest or drive on the part of any Designer who has not taken
	the IPC Designer Certification Test.  You presume too much.
	
	Their are many reasons for the lack of a turn out to date, ranging
	from (admittedly) apathy to pure ignorance.  Until recently (March
	of 95), I was unaware of any such course available.  Their hasn't
	been a general announcement of this Certification and many companies
	can not afford to send their employees to conventions.
	
	I learned of the IPC Certification Test during the PWB Design
	Conference in San Jose.  Until that conference, I'd never heard of
	the program.  You may have noticed many people at the convention,
	but it was an extremely small cross section of the total Designer
	community.
	
	As you imply, generally the companies which employee Printed Circuit
	Designers, and Mechanical Designers and Drafters, consider them
	expendable, replaceable or low class employees.  We all realize this
	kind of short sighted mentality.  Unfortunately, the same folks
	with the short sighted mentality also set salaries, which is also
	a limiting factor.  The Designer Certification Test costs the
	the Designer, not the company for which they work.  Do you feel all
	Designers can afford the cost??  I, for one, do not!
	
	The idea of a Certification program, in my opinion, is absolutely
	the best thing since sliced bread.  However, this must be tempered
	with the knowledge that not all Designers will be able take the
	test, even though they are more than capable Designers.  I do not
	want a caste system established between those Certified and those
	who, for what ever reason, are not.  Remember how it is with the
	degreed and non-degreed employees.  Also remember what word the last
	five characters of "degreed" spells.  If we, as Designers, allow
	this caste system to be established, we are no better than the
	"degreed" folks who look down on us.
	
	I am the Manager of the Printed Circuit Design department for ITT
	Aerospace/Communications Division.  I have a staff of 17 design
	personnel.  Only 7 employees are full fledged Designers, the rest
	are support staff (Librarians, Checkers, System Administrator,
	Schematic Capture and Detail personnel).  This year to date, my
	department has completed over 70 new designs, not to mention the
	revisions to existing designs.  I give this informations because,
	when your staff is working 15 to 20 hours a week overtime to
	maintain program schedules, consistently doing designs with surface
	mount parts top and bottom and blind and buried vias, not much time
	or brain power is left for studying or testing.
	
	Mr. McClelland, I am not trying to make an enemy with this response.
	I just feel a little more compassion and understanding are needed.
	I want this Certification program to be a huge success.  I feel this
	program will be a success, in time.  I am encouraging all of my
	Design personnel to become certified as soon as possible.  However,
	ITT will not foot the bill for this certification, but is more than
	willing reap the benefits.  Most companies fall into this category.
	
	Thank you for your mail message.  I request other opinions on this
	subject.  If I am willing to rant and rave, I should be willing to
	take the same.
	
David D. Ball
Manager, PC Design
ITT Aerospace/Communications
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> 
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> Date: Fri, 16 Jun 95 10:39:13 CDT
> From: [log in to unmask] (Brant McClelland)
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> Subject: PWB Designers Certification
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> 
> 
> To whom it may concern:
> 
> 	I am a founding member of the Austin, Heart Of Texas, Designers
> Council. I felt that we, as designers, needed more respect from the Eng-
> ineering and Manufacturing community and saw the IPC Designer Councils 
> as the vehicle toward that end. The Certification Test is our proof that
> we deserve that respect.

> 	The engineer has to pass a state examination to get a Professional 
> Engineering certification (P.E.), and with this certification he, or she, 
> shows the world an expertise and knowledge expected from the engineering
> community. Some employers require that all engineers be certified for 
> legal reasons. I can see that, eventually, only certified engineers will 
> be in demand. Can we not expect this change in attitude to effect designers?
> 
> 	Our Certification Test is currently the only way we have to prove
> our expertise, to show the world that we, too, are professionals. Consider-
> ing the interest shown in item writting for the test, I am very surprised 
> at the actual test participation up to this point. I took the test three
> days after it was available thinking I would be lucky to be in the first
> 100 tested after all that time had passed. Here we are, months later, and
> still 100 tests have not been taken.
> 
> 	I don't know wether I passed the test or not. If I didn't, I'll 
> take it again and again until I do, it's that important to me, it SHOULD 
> be that important to you.
> 
> 	What I want is to be able to change my business card to:
> 
> Brant McClelland, P.D.
> 
> Senior Designer
> Texas Instruments
> [log in to unmask]