What Is NCCER Certification?

June 22, 2021

The construction and industrial maintenance industries require a workforce comprising highly skilled, trained, and knowledgeable individuals. Many companies prefer hiring craft professionals with adequate qualifications and training from credible organizations. 

So, what is an NCCER certification? An NCCER certification is one of the most prominent tools that the construction industry uses to verify the credentials of its workers. If you aspire to make a career in construction and gain industry-recognized credentials, an NCCER certification can be the perfect option for you.

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What Is NCCER?

NCCER stands for The National Center for Construction Education and Research. Established in 1996 with the support of over 125 construction CEOs and academic leaders, NCCER is now a leading not-for-profit education foundation organization covering many different types of construction.

NCCER provides standardized training and industry-recognized credentials with specializations in more than 70 craft areas to help develop a safe and productive workforce. The organization’s workforce development initiatives include accreditation, instructor certification, standardized curriculum, registry, assessment, and certification.

How Does an NCCER Certification Help?

NCCER credentials are a key component in the industry’s workforce development efforts. These credentials allow students and professionals to improve their skills, gain recruitment, and enhance their career development.

Gaining an NCCER Certification can help craft professionals create and maintain their records in the NCCER Registry System. Employers can access the national registry and verify the credentials of their current and potential employees.

how does NCCER certification help?

What Is the NCCER Registry?

NCCER has a centralized Registry System that allows companies to track the qualifications of their craft professionals, check the qualifications of potential employees, and verify their credentials.

The registry also helps workers and trade professionals to maintain their qualifications, skills, and experience in NCCER’s secure database.

Once you complete NCCER’s training and assessment requirements, the registry provides you with wallet cards.  These cards are a quick and easy way of showing your credentials.

The National Center For Construction Education and Research: Core Values

NCCER has built a reputation for its highly standardized and efficient training programs that follow these eight core values:

  • Integrity
  • Credibility
  • Innovation
  • Commitment
  • Quality
  • Industry Support
  • Customer Focus
  • Sustainable Career Opportunities

NCCER partners with over 40 different national organizations and associations that share the same goals and objectives.

NCCER Core Curriculum, Training, and Assessment

NCCER has developed a training and assessment system that uses a curriculum developed by industrial and academic subject matter experts. It provides certifications and training credentials in crafts relevant to the oil and gas, industrial maintenance, and construction industries.

Let’s take a look at NCCER’s system.

Core Curriculum

If you wish to pursue any Level 1 craft curriculum, you must fulfill the NCCER Core prerequisite. The module includes topics such as:

  • Basic Safety
  • Communication Skills
  • Introduction to Construction Drawings

NEIT’s Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management has a comprehensive curriculum that provides core knowledge of integrating design, engineering, and technology about the process of construction.

Program Disciplines

Completing the core training can help you get the basic skills required to continue education in your preferred craft area. Some of the craft areas that NCCER offers are:

  • Field Safety
  • Fundamentals of Crew Leadership
  • Heavy Equipment Operations
  • Industrial Maintenance Electrical & Instrumentation Technician
  • Industrial Maintenance Mechanic
  • Ironworking
  • Pipefitting
  • Pipelayer
  • Gas Pipeline Operations
  • Pipeline Corrosion Control
  • Pipeline Maintenance
  • Pipeline Mechanical
  • Project Management
  • Project Supervision
  • Safety Orientation
  • Safety Technology
  • Welding
  • HVAC

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NCCER Core Curriculum, Training, and Assessment

What Is the Difference Between NCCER Training and Assessment?

NCCER provides both craft training and assessments. You can select either of the paths to obtain NCEER’s industry-recognized credentials.  Industry leaders use NCCER’s portable credentials while making employment decisions. These credentials demonstrate your competency in a given area.

Training

If you intend to learn a craft that can help you start working in the construction industry, you can choose NCCER’s craft training programs.

Accredited Training Sponsors conduct these training programs using the prescribed NCCER curriculum. Contractors, associations, construction users, and secondary and post-secondary schools worldwide teach these programs.

Assessment

NCCER’s Assessments help evaluate the competence level of experienced workers.  As a part of its National Craft Assessment and Certification Program (NCACP), NCCER conducts several entry-level and journey-level written assessments. These assessments evaluate the knowledge of experienced professionals in specific craft areas.

Other Services

Experienced supervisors can also take NCCER’s management assessments. NCCER provides a prescription for individuals who require upgrade training after their assessment results.

NCCER also provides a series of academic tests for secondary career and technical education.
Difference Between NCCER Training and Assessment

How Can You Obtain Your NCCER Certification?

If you want to get NCCER certified, you must first enroll in an NCCER-accredited training sponsor school. You can also apply for a trade program that follows the NCCER-prescribed curriculum. Formal education in any of the trades or craft can help you get the hands-on training necessary to apply for NCCER certification.

NCCER’s assessment and certification programs have two components: Knowledge Verifications and Performance verification. 

You can obtain the “Knowledge Verified” certification if you pass the written test. To receive your “Performance Verified” certificate, you have to demonstrate your skills in a controlled environment in front of qualified performance evaluators. If you complete both the written and performance assessments, NCCER awards you the “Certified Plus” certification.

You can take written assessments at any accredited institution. You can access your test scores, certificates, and wallet card on the registry if you pass.

What Jobs Can Get NCCER Certified?

NCCER offers certifications in diverse disciplines. Some of the fields in each domain that are eligible for NCCER certification include:

  • Construction Technology and Management: Manufactured Construction Technology, Foreman, Supervisor, Sustainable Construction Supervisor, Construction Workforce, Development, Crew Leadership, Professional, Project Management, Safety Orientation, and Technology
  • Trades: Carpentry, Concrete Finisher, Construction, Electrical, Drywall Mechanic, Masonry, Painting, Pipefitting, Pipe Laying, Plumbing, Welding
  • Maintenance: Boilermaker Construction and Maintenance, Industrial Maintenance, Scaffolding Construction, and Maintenance.
  • Equipment Operation: Crane Operator, Gas Pipeline Operations, Heavy Equipment Operations, Hydroblasting Technician.
  • Manufacturing: Industrial Millwright, Iron Making, Sheet Metal
  • Electrical and Electronics: Industrial Insulator, Instrumentation, Power Generation (Maintenance Electrician, Maintenance Mechanic), Power Line Worker (Substation, Distribution, Transmission, Reinforcing Ironworker)

Start your career on a promising note, with NEIT’s Associate’s degree in Electrical Technology. Our program can help you pursue a wide range of fast-evolving career options such as industrial and manufacturing automation, among many other opportunities.

What Jobs Can Get NCCER Certified?

What Are NCCER Credentials?

NCCER credentials help provide national portability of skills to construction professionals and students. A full set of NCCER credentials include:

  • Certificate of completion
  • Wallet card 
  • Transcript

You can only obtain the complete set of your printed credentials if you complete one of the following:

  • Core Training/ Full-level of Craft Training at an Accredited Training Sponsor
  • An NCCER written assessment
  • An NCCER Performance Verification
  • An NCCER Mobile Crane, Rigger/ Signal Person, or Tower Crane Certification
Although NCCER recommends that you learn from the prescribed curriculum, its recommendation is not mandatory to earn your credential.

Benefits of NCCER Certification

NCCER’s assessment, certification, and career development services can help you make a bright career in the construction industry. The National Registry contains the names of individuals and their credentials.

Once you become a certified professional, you can have better job and income opportunities. Along with higher pay, certifications can also improve your prospects of promotions and career advancements.

According to BLS, construction managers had a median pay of $97,180 per year, while the average crane and tower operators earned $64,010 annually. Certified trade professionals such as electricians had a median salary of $56,900 in 2020.

Benefits of NCCER Certification

Conclusion

Construction CEOs, Subject matter experts, and industry leaders have jointly helped developed the NCCER curriculum. Applying for NCCER’s qualifications, certifications, and credentialing services allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers.

A formal degree, certificate, or training program in the relevant craft area can ease the process of obtaining your NCCER certification.

Learn more about how NEIT can help you achieve your goals. Our degree programs combine theory with hands-on practice to prepare you for a high-paying and fulfilling career.

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Earn your degree in Construction from NEIT and begin your new career path today!

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FAQs

How do I become NCCER certified?

 You can obtain your NCCER certification by completing any of NCCER’s training programs or assessments. Some assessments require you to pass a written test and a performance evaluation test to obtain your certification.

What Does NCCER stand for?

NCCER stands for The National Center for Construction Education and Research. NCCER is a not-for-profit organization established in 1996 that provides standardized training and industry-recognized credentialing with specializations in over 70 craft areas.

What are NCCER credentials?

A full set of NCCER credentials includes a Certificate of completion, a wallet card, and a transcript that employers and professionals can access NCCER’s National Registry.