One thing I see many miss when installing window grates, is the emergency relase of the grate for fire excape.  It is required around here, other places may allow people to burn alive I dont know, and I bet many smiths do not either, Some sort of certification would be nice for people hiring work for the living area, to know it is done correctly

I'm all for voluntary standardization like the ABS does.  You don't have to follow they rules, but you then don't get to fly the JS or MS logo on your knives.  As a buyer, that stamp lets me know there's a better-than-good chance of getting quality work.  Non-members can make and sell knives all day long and the lack of a stamp doesn't hurt them once they are known for quality.

 

I wouldn't mind the cert just so I could hang it on the wall and brag to the dog about how great I am....  :D

So I'm not sure what other states offer, but California has a three level corse with I think a journeyman certificate upon completion. More info on the CBA's website.

http://www.calsmith.org/resources/education/

Certification rarely guarantees quality, sounds like just another way to corner the market and give the guise of superiority little more than bragging rights in such a wide and diverse trade.

Real certification means that at least once in their life, they have made the effort to become educated, apply themselves to a set of standards, and pass a benchmark test. Whether that is a medical board, the real estate broker test, the state farrier's exam, the lawyer's bar, or a pipe welder's test, the result is the same: a card-carrying certification. (And nice engraved document, suitable for framing!)

 

Does this mean that they will always perform at that level? (Or that they have any sense of business ethics?) Of course not. That is why most occupations have some sort of organization to oversee the members. This can be a voluntary trade organization, or a government office, or both.

 

Are all organizations ripe for incompetent management, corruption, cronyism, and discrimination? If they are made up of people, yes. They are only as good as the folks that make them up. Some have good reputations that have been maintained for years, and some do not. And one bad apple can ruin it for everyone.

 

The alternative is chaos. Ya pays yer money, and ya takes yer chances.

There's a young (younger than me) guy in another part of this state who refers to himself as a master smith; I don't know how he came by that designation. I haven't seen his work or spoken to him, so I'm not judging, but I am curious. He also claims to certify apprentices, whatever that might mean.

 

Personally, I have no interest in being certified. I do what I do and try to do it well in my narrow area of interest.

Unfortunately I will agree with John (post 30) I have an airframe/power plant license and some work within the guide lines but many do not. A certificate can be an accomplishment or a step to betterment of craft.