The Irrigation Association Certification Board has announced that the Certified Irrigation Contractor program has officially earned national accreditation, making it the only accredited certification program in the irrigation industry. The CIC designation is one of seven offered through IA’s Select Certified program.
“All of today’s professionals benefit from the high standards of knowledge, experience and professionalism required by the Select Certified program,” says Tom Wyatt, a former IACB board chair who has been involved in the process. “Having the CIC program accredited truly sets our program apart from others in the industry, and demonstrates IA’s commitment to high standards and ensuring our programs meet the needs of today’s program candidates.”
Three years in the making. The certification board has been working diligently since mid-2009 on the accreditation process and first submitted their application to the National Commission of Certifying Agencies in September 2011. Certification programs that receive NCCA accreditation demonstrate compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, which were the first standards for professional certification programs developed by the certification industry.
The IACB’s process began by performing a task analysis for the irrigation contractor job. The analysis involved surveys and an irrigation contractor focus group designed to assess the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the job correctly. Based on data they received from the focus group and surveys, the board developed the exam content outline. The IACB received notification in late May that they had earned accreditation and are among only 100 organizations that have earned this level of accreditation through NCCA. The CIC program is the first in the irrigation industry to become NCCA-accredited.
For more information on IA’s CIC program visit www.irrigation.org/Certification/CIC/CIC.aspxor visit www.irrigation.org/Certification for more information on all IA certification programs.
