IPC Training & Certification Centre
Goals and Overviews

1. Goals of IPC Professional Training and Certification Programs

The goals of the IPC Professional Training and Certification Programs are to:

1. provide a standardized set of industry developed, recognized, approved and traceable training programs to enhance understanding and appropriate application of criteria in the standard.
2. provide an understanding of accept/reject criteria to enhance an individual’s motivation and ability to consistently and correctly apply the technical discrimination criteria.
3. teach methods and processes to improve an individual’s skills and ability to achieve acceptable workmanship.
4. teach methods and techniques how to use, navigate, locate and to apply the criteria contained in a document to the appropriate class or classes of production.

2. Overview of IPC Training and Certification Programs

2.1 IPC’s training and certification programs are developed by and through consensus of industry, including but not limited to members of IPC and many others such as representatives from academia, government agencies, OEMs, EMS and IMS companies, and are used worldwide. Participation in any IPC training and certification program is voluntary. Membership in IPC is not required for use of any IPC Training and Certification Program. Training consistency and program integrity is maintained by establishing certification criteria and control on all levels of the program (through industry consensus) and this requires the use of specific instructor guides, training visuals/slides, student training material kits, test/measurement material and any other material that may be required by a specific training program.

2.2 There are two tiers to the Certification programs:

• Certified Master IPC Trainers (MIT) meeting specific background and training requirements provide training and certification to Certified IPC Trainers (CIT) on a standard.
• Certified IPC Trainers provide Application Specialist (previously called operator/worker proficiency) training and certification to managers and supervisors, inspectors/quality program administrators, operators and any other individuals that need a consistent understanding of the criteria.

2.3 The period of certification for Master IPC Trainer, Certified IPC Trainer and Certified IPC Specialist expires after two (2) years. Certification is valid through the last day of the month, regardless of the day of the month the certification was granted.

2.4 Challenge testing is an option for Certified IPC Trainer or Certified IPC Specialist certification, see clause 6.

2.5 Certification is a personal and portable credential—it is granted to the individual who successfully completes the training and not to the employing company. Certification conferred upon an individual is the property of that certified person and is retained (portable) even when changing employment.

2.6 IPC’s Professional Training and Certification Programs, refer to and including Discrimination Skills (such as IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610 and IPC/WHMA-A-620) and Workmanship Skills (such as IPC/EIA J-STD-001 and IPC-7711/7721) training programs.

[extracted from IPC website]