National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (N.I.C.E.T.)

Early in 1987, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) decided that it would participate with the national institute for certification in engineering technologies (NICET) in order to upgrade the status of its et workforce.

NICET was founded in 1962 to offer certification programs for engineering technicians in the following career fields:

Construction
Design
Maintenance
Materials
Surveys
Traffic

Written tests are given on four different levels.

All exams are given on Saturday throughout the United States. SHA has test centers in Baltimore, Salisbury, Annapolis, and Cumberland. Each individual "constructs" his own exam by selecting "work elements" from a listing provided in the manual for a particular career field. Exams are sequential: an individual starts at level I and works his way up through levels ii, iii and iv. However, he or she may stop at any point. If they are comfortable at achieving level ii or iii, they may stop there. After he or she completes all of the written requirements for a certain level, their application will then be evaluated by NICET for experience requirements. Having met those requirements, they will then be issued a certification, which identifies the individual as having achieved a level of proficiency in a given career field.

There is a growing trend among private and public sector employers to require certification as a condition of employment although SHA does not currently require that.

We are very proud of the fact that we currently have 216 persons employed as either engineering technicians or facility maintenance technicians who are certified at either Levels III or IV.

Of the original group who participated in 1987 and ’88, all have been promoted into the professional engineering series and one person is now a district engineer!

We strongly encourage our maintenance and engineering technicians to participate as we continue to bear all costs associated with the program.

For additional information visit www.nicet.org.

For more information please contact State Highway's Administration's NICET Coordinator Jeff Holdren on 410-545-5624