MILWAUKEE, WI—ASQ issued 8,380 professional certifications in the U.S. in 2013 as part of a partnership with The Manufacturing Institute designed to help fill advanced manufacturing positions.

The Manufacturing Institute’s Skills Certification System was developed in 2009 to directly address deficits in manufacturing education and training, which is limiting the pool of qualified candidates for skilled manufacturing jobs. The Manufacturing Institute’s Skills Certification System is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers.

The Manufacturing Institute and its partners stood with President Barack Obama in 2011 to set a goal of issuing 500,000 industry-based certifications to individuals by 2016. In 2013, The Manufacturing Institute and its partners issued 117,189 credentials. The total number certifications issued by all partners since 2011 is 294,478.

“ASQ certifications are a mark of technical excellence and provide workers with the knowledge valuable to employers worldwide,” said ASQ CEO Paul Borawski. “We’re proud to offer these credentials to help prepare professionals for the next generation of manufacturing and more.”

ASQ offers 17 certifications, including Certified Quality Technician, Certified Calibration Technician, Certified Quality Engineer and Certified Quality Inspector. In addition to the 8,380 certifications issued in the U.S., ASQ awarded approximately 3,340 certifications around the world in 2013.

ASQ joins 14 other leading organizations representing multiple industry sectors offering skills certification programs within the partnership program. ASQ is the only organization in the partnership that deals specifically in quality engineering and management fields, providing training and certifications directly related to quality.

“In this highly competitive global market, our manufacturers’ business success is tied directly to their ability to innovate, and the single most important factor in their innovation capacity is an educated and skilled workforce,” said Jennifer McNelly, president, The Manufacturing Institute. “Our solution, the Skills Certification System, helps address the skills gap directly affecting the workforce pipeline for manufacturers by aligning manufacturing education and training with industry standards.”

For more information about the Manufacturing Institute’s Skills Certification System, visit themanufacturinginstitute.org. For more information about ASQ and its offerings, visit asq.org.