Where to get a Black belt certification

[John Predmore]

The most valuable part of my professional development as a problem-solver was not the classroom, not the hands-on project, but rather the coaching I received during the project work, how to recognize different manifestations of variation and what to do next. That was the intuition I could barely acquire from a book or a class. For most effective learning, I recommend a program where you get ample one-on-one coaching from a practitioner with recent and ample real-world experience.

I sometimes compare my professional development to the art of learning how to drive an automobile. Maybe you have teenage children who are learning to drive, or it wasn't that long ago for you, so you can relate to this analogy. Reading a book or watching a video about driving are important components to learn the knowhow and motor skills of driving [pun intended]. However, no one becomes a good driver without real-world experience. It isn't time behind the wheel which imparts the key learning, it is the verbal coaching by an experienced driver who goes along for the ride. The most important "skills" in a good driver are not rote skills, but perception and situation awareness and judgement and being able to quickly find the best path through an unexpected situation. I think the same is true for problem-solvers. And thus my answer, it is the coaching which develops the most highly capable problem-solvers. To answer your question, you are more likely to get valuable coaching from a professional enterprise who makes this their business rather than an academic institution IMHO.

 

[Jen Kirley]

For most effective learning, I recommend a program where you get ample one-on-one coaching from a practitioner with recent and ample real-world experience.

I completely agree with this but have not personally experienced a situation in which this was available. I worked at a place where 6S was valued, but only the product/process engineers were invited to get the employer-sponsored training and certs. In order to get my 6S I found it necessary to go it alone. But to be fair to everyone else, I don't think my experiences are mainstream (I hope not, anyway). My entire civilian QA career has been one in which I found it necessary to get my certifications on my own, and then move to the next level.

 

[optomist1]

Could not agree more with Jen, I too sought and secured my own...this too gives one a choice as to provider. Roughly quoting Jack Welch the former GE Charmian..."Plan for your future or someone else will..."

 

[Miner]

My journey was a little different. I started my career as a quality engineer and was promptly introduced to DOE and regression while still in orientation. I also started in the automotive industry and was taught all of the SPC/Capability/Control Plan tools as they were rolled out by Ford and GM. I used it so much through my career that when Six Sigma came out, I knew more about the tools that any of the Master Black Belts. All I had to learn was the DMAIC process. In fact, I mentored MBBs in DOE at one company. However, after getting downsized after a company merger, I was passed over by countless companies because I did not have the certifications. They didn't care that I had the knowledge. I pushed my current employer hard when they rolled Six Sigma out over 16 years ago. BB then MBB certification followed, and I now teach Six Sigma among other subjects for my company.