To Hire the Best People, Look to Accredited Institutions, says ATMAE

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In today’s competitive market this is a tool for quickly screening candidates regarding the quality of their education.

Ann Abor, MI (PRWEB) August 31, 2011

To bring American manufacturing back to life, and bring manufacturing jobs back to our shores, American companies need to hire the best and brightest from our institutions of higher learning. But wading through thousands of institutions and countless more program offerings seems a bit daunting. According to ATMAE, to make this task more manageable, hiring managers should seek out graduates from programs accredited in the areas best suited for their industry.

Accreditation is a “means to assure and improve higher education quality, assisting institutions and programs using a set of standards developed by peers, “ according to the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. Institutions that have gone through the accreditation process have shown that they have processes in place to assess that the program and the program outcomes (students getting hired in their field of study) are successful. The process includes a systemic self study of the program against standards, an on-site visit of peer experts, a subsequent review and decision by the accrediting body and the process is repeated every set number of years to ensure continuing process/quality improvement to maintain the accredited status.

Accreditation will increase the ability for industry to hire the most consistent and reliable new hires for years to come. It provides for continuous quality improvement between the institution and industry.

The Outcome Assessment (how many students are hired in their given field of study) is a key component to the accreditation process. Outcomes assure that students are educated and prepared. In order for programs to improve their outcome assessment, they must reach out to industry to understand their current and future needs. A prepared and educated student is ready to modernize and reenergize the manufacturing base.

In the United States, the two prominent organizations that recognize programmatic accrediting agencies are the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Both host a list of accredited programs that are searchable and downloadable and include the accrediting agency and program area.

Stephen Dunn, industry consultant from Findlay, OH, says. “It (accreditation) provides confidence that a rigorous process has been completed prior to the granting of credentials. In today’s competitive market this is a tool for quickly screening candidates regarding the quality of their education.”

Brandon Weber, Quincy Compressor, Quincy, IL-"Like any function within any process, manufacturing strives for "world-class" and the hiring process is no different. We review the applicant, education and related experiences and interviewing and hiring from an accredited university department is another step in Human Resources growing closer to a "world-class" function."

In the coming year, manufacturing will become the new horizon. Students from accredited institutions will lead the way to reenergize industry and our national economy.

The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) is an organization that sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification, and professional development for educators and industry professionals involved in integrating technology, leadership and design. For more information, visit our website at http://www.atmae.org.

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