Army to award promotion points for civilian certifications - Alog News - Army automotive mechanics and electronics repairers - Brief Article

Army Logistician, Sept-Oct, 2003

Army automotive mechanics and electronics repairers soon will earn promotion points for attaining technical certifications directly related to their trade. Soldiers currently are promoted to junior-grade noncommissioned officers based on a scoring system in which they can earn points for education, awards, special achievements, and performance. However, this promotion system does not consider how proficient a skilled technician is in his job.

Under the new system, soldiers who want to learn a new technical skill can attend nationally accredited training and earn professional certifications free of charge (the Army pays for certifications up to $2,000 per certification). For each certification earned, the Army will award 10 promotion points, up to a maximum of 50 points. Soldiers will benefit by being promoted more quickly, the Army will benefit by getting more proficient technicians, and, ultimately, civilian industry will benefit by getting better-qualified technicians when the soldiers return to civilian life.

The new system is scheduled to go into effect in October. Most of the technical fields affected by the new policy are in the Ordnance Corps. They include electronics technicians, automotive mechanics, and allied trades such as welders, machinists, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) repair specialists.