How can employees become Six Sigma certified?

If you want to improve the way your company operates, it can be very helpful to start implementing Six Sigma tools and strategies. In order to do this, you will want to make sure some of your employees become Six Sigma certified. Fortunately, this is not a terribly difficult process, though it will take some effort on their part. Many employees will be very happy to work toward their Six Sigma certifications because it will make them in much higher demand by companies and can help them to grow in their career.

Choosing a Six Sigma Goal

There are multiple levels of Six Sigma certification, which are identified as belts (similar to martial arts). The highest level is the master black belt, but that is not something that most people will ever need to attain. All employees will need to start with the Yellow belt, and from there they can decide if they want to move up to the green belt, and the black belt. Only after years of effort will they even have the opportunity to pursue the master black belt status. It is perfectly acceptable for employees to reach the yellow or green belt levels and remain there if that is all they need for their career goals.

Training & Certification

Most people will need to go through a number of steps for each certification level. This will typically start with some level of training that they need to complete. Depending on the employee and their goals, this could include classroom training, self-study, on the job training, or some combination of all of them. Once ready, employees will have to take an official Six Sigma certification test, which will (in part) determine if they can attain the next level of belt that they are seeking.

Continuous Improvement

Those who are working toward Six Sigma certifications will have to complete different tasks and projects to show that they have mastered particular skills. This is a major benefit to their employers, and also gives the employee the experience they need to progress through the certification programs. In addition, when working toward higher level belts, they will need to have mentors who can guide them through the process.