The IEEE Communications Society is introducing a new certification program geared toward technical professionals who want to sharpen their communications technology skills. Those who pass an exam in one of several specialties will earn a Certificate of Communications Expertise.

The first exam, available by the end of 2007, will be on wireless cellular technology. Certification will also be offered in technologies that include transmission, switching and routing, network protocols, wireless communications, optical communications, and access networks. The Board of Directors approved US $200 000 in June to develop the exams along with instructional courses that prepare people for the test.

"Most people seeking the certification will probably be new employees or those with a few years of experience," says John Pape, head of the IEEE Communications Society's marketing department in New York City, which oversees the program. "Some may be employed in other areas of engineering and want to change jobs, but need more credentials, which the certification program provides. The program will also be valuable for consultants who want to enhance their records."

Pierre Perra, an IEEE senior member and chair of the IEEE Communications Certification Committee, the group responsible for developing the certification program, says he hopes companies will incorporate certification in their hiring and promotion policies. Certification could help employers evaluate an applicant's qualifications and provide a measure of the person's commitment to the field, Perra says. Those obtaining certification would be better positioned for promotions and pay increases, and they would have greater job security and job mobility, he adds. Perra also sees the certification program serving as a model of change for educational institutions.

"The high level of knowledge and competence required to pass the certification exams may become an incentive for educational institutions to reexamine their communications engineering courses," he says. "The program may also serve as a guide for schools that want to establish new communications engineering departments."

Celia Desmond, vice president, IEEE Technical Activities, and one of the initiators of the new program, says certification will establish an international standard of competence in wireless communications engineering.

"It transcends schools, programs, and even work experience to demonstrate that the certified individual meets defined levels of knowledge," Desmond says.

Developing the exams will require industry support. "We need industry to partner with us to develop test questions to accurately reflect a candidate's knowledge," Pape says. "We need the assistance of companies across the globe."

ELIGIBILITY Higher-grade IEEE members—which do not include students—and graduate student members automatically qualify to take the test. People who want to take the test but are not IEEE members must hold a bachelor's or equivalent degree in engineering or physical sciences from an institution of higher learning recognized by the IEEE.

Exam application and registration fees are yet to be determined. A certificate will be good for three years. The instructional courses will be developed along with the tests, although taking the courses will not be mandatory.

For more information, visit http://www.comsoc.org