Are you a certified MLA, machine lubricant analyst? Or perhaps an MLT, machinery lubrication technician? If so, you have the chance to contribute to the improvement of industry for generations to come by becoming a volunteer for the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML).
Everyone Wins
Holding an ICML certification credential has worldwide value. As a certified MLA or MLT, one is aware of the benefits derived from the skill assurance independent, third-party certifications provide. ICML certification benefits not only the practitioner, but also the companies with ICML certified professionals and industry at large. Raising the profile of lubricant analysts and lubrication technicians is the mission of ICML, and to accomplish this mission, ICML certification improves not only machine reliability and bottom-line company performance, but the lives of practitioners on a global scale as well.
A Volunteer's Job
ICML is a volunteer-based organization, made by industry practitioners to benefit industry practitioners. Exams would not be possible without the work from volunteer subject matter experts participating in the test-writing committees. These volunteers not only work on the body of knowledge covered in ICML's exams, they also develop, through a peer-review process, the actual questions used in the exams. Each question goes through a lengthy process of development, which ranges from research of a knowledge statement to the final multiple-choice-format question used in the database, with peer-review and approval stages following each phase. At least two volunteers are involved at every step, making the number of volunteers available to work in each part of the question development process crucial to the maintenance, addition and quality of the exam questions database. For quality control purposes, ICML is constantly reviewing exam questions, which increases the number of volunteers working on questions at any given time.
Question Development
As a certified MLA or MLT, you may be eligible to participate in one or more of the stages of question development. Your contributions will be peer-reviewed by ICML committee members and statistically tested for adoption to the ICML database.
The first phase of question development consists of factual statements research. This involves researching one or more of the books listed in the specific exam's domain of knowledge. The aim is to identify statements of fact contained in the book(s) relating to an area of the body of knowledge of the exam, which will warrant an appropriate future exam question, suitable for the exam level for which such questions will be used. While this is a simpler task than actual development of the exam questions in multiple-choice format, the research phase is crucial to the development process. It is the starting point for all questions that ultimately make it to the exam.
You Can Contribute
ICML is calling on certified MLA and MLT professionals to volunteer a small portion of their time helping to develop exam questions for these two exams. The volunteer work is done remotely, via web and e-mail, and at your own pace. Researching statements is a simple and rewarding "job." Not only will your contribution add to the availability of high-quality ICML exams, but as one volunteer states, "It's a wonderful way to review your own skills and keep up to date."
If helping ICML provide industry with world-class certification exams while gaining recognition of your own knowledge and skills, as well as providing your company with positive exposure through the ICML list of volunteer companies, is something of interest to you, please e-mail ICML at info@lubecouncil.org
ICML welcomes certified MLA and MLT professionals to leave a positive mark in industry for the benefit of practitioners for generations to come.
