Various maintenance partners, including the IHK-Bildungszentrum Cottbus, the IBS – CEMES Institut and the WVIS Wirtschaftsverband für Industrieservice have introduced a new professional qualification. “MainCert” is a European solution for certification of professionals and managers. Nine employees of Voith Industrial Services are the first participants to have successfully gone through the innovative test process for recognition of their expertise.

Various maintenance partners, including the IHK-Bildungszentrum Cottbus, the IBS–CEMES Institut and the WVIS Wirtschaftsverband für Industrieservice have introduced a new professional qualification. “MainCert” is a European solution for certification of professionals and managers. Due to the highly specific conditions of maintenance roles, managers, in particular, need a high level of knowledge acquired through many years of experience. However, up to now it has been difficult to firmly document this level of qualification. This gap is now closed with the three-stage CEMES test process. It facilitates determination and evaluation of professional knowledge and practical experience.

Nine employees of Voith Industrial Services are the first participants to have successfully gone through the innovative test process for recognition of their expertise. They contributed to the certification process being improved and adapted to the target group. On the basis of practical knowledge and the MainCert manual, their expertise was tested using a three-stage test process. After an introduction with a multiple choice test, contextual knowledge was subsequently tested with more complex questions. At the conclusion of the test, the participants were tested on how they would put their expertise in action in specific case studies, during a personal conversation.
The test focused on topics such as order processing, determining the need for maintenance, resource management and maintenance budgets.

The certification achieved was then presented to the managers in December 2013. Martin Hennerici, CEO Voith Industrial Services, is happy for the participants: “Life-long learning is the basis for success.”

Companies can profit through demonstrating their employees’ expertise to customers and through employee motivation. Furthermore, the employees get the benefit of better career opportunities and broadening of international horizons. The certification is standards-oriented and for this reason has to be renewed after five years. After this successful start, it will now be more widely publicized during professional committees and user conferences.