NKBA Unveils ‘University’ Plan
Hackettstown, NJ In an effort to “meet the increasing need for
qualified design professionals” in the kitchen and bath industry,
the National Kitchen & Bath Association has unveiled plans for
an “NKBA University” that will assist industry professionals in
identifying and achieving a clearly defined “career path,” the
trade association announced.
The program will officially launch with the spring certification
exams in 2002, NKBA officials said last month.
The NKBA University program recently approved by the
association’s board of directors upon the recommendation of a
special ad hoc committee will “provide the foundation for a
professional kitchen and bath career,” the NKBA said. That
foundation will be provided through a series of course offerings,
technical manuals, books and a new multi-level certification
program that complements the previous Certified Kitchen Designer
(CKD) and Certified Bathroom Designer (CBD) certifications, the
association added.
“Based on a review of the historical career path of kitchen and
bath professionals, NKBA concluded that there is a need to
articulate a clearly defined professional career path [that]
encompasses both an education system and our certification
program,” the Hackettstown, NJ-based association said.
Two additional levels of certification, both preceding and
succeeding the current CKD and CBD certification level, will be
offered “to recognize educational and experience progression along
this career path,” the NKBA said. They are:
- AKBD Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer. This entry-level
certification program is for individuals who have either recently
entered the industry, graduated from an endorsed college, or whose
position does not encompass all of the design competencies required
of the CKD and CBD.
The certification level, which requires two years of experience
and/or education, “offers an incentive for continuation in a career
path as a professional designer,” according to the NKBA. - CMKBD Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer. This level of
certification, enabling kitchen and bath specialists to proceed
beyond the existing CKD and CBD designations, “will be synonymous
with advanced achievement and experience,” according to the NKBA.
It will be awarded to those professionals who have 10 years of
additional full-time experience from the candidate’s first
certification, the association noted.
“Having an advanced level of certification recognizes the
continuation of education and achievement for professionals in the
industry,” the NKBA said, noting that the CKD and CBD designations
will remain in place as the benchmark level of certification for
individuals who have had a minimum of seven years of experience and
education within the industry.