buildingSMART has initiated a new Professional Certification Program to support openBIM training
The Professional Certification program is an international endeavour that has been developed in Europe, Asia and the US and is expected to be adopted across the globe.
In recent years the industry has witnessed an enhanced adoption of BIM around the world. However, this has also led to confusion and a lack of consistency in defining processes and agreeing on basic terms and concepts.
There is also a disparity in the competence of industry professionals who manage and deliver BIM projects. For BIM adoption to be successful, the industry needs:
- consensus in the use of standardised terminology and processes and;
- a benchmarking mechanism against which the competence of individuals can be measured.
As a recognised leader in the development of openBIM standards, buildingSMART aims to bring clarity and consensus in the definition and application of openBIM principles. Through a standardised program, buildingSMART hopes to provide a global benchmark for openBIM training and competency assessment.
buildingSMART CEO, Richard Petrie, believes the program will have a widespread impact across the global industry.
Petrie said: “It will provide a stable reference point for professionals working in the field of Building Information Modelling. It will also assist employers in recruiting BIM professionals as well as providing transparency for project developers in procuring BIM competent consulting or contracting firms.”
Professional Certification Program co-ordinator Mark Baldwin added: “it is important to emphasise that buildingSMART will not be delivering training itself. The Program exists to support and accredit training organisations to deliver approved courses.”
The first phase of the Program, termed ‘Individual Qualification’, was initiated in September 2017. Within this the professional certification guidelines and content – the so-called learning outcome framework – were made available for buildingSMART Chapters to adopt and localised the Program for national requirements.
The program is a month away for public launch, which will be announced by each participating buildingSMART Chapter. The initiative is being developed and co-ordinated by the buildingSMART Professional Certification Committee. The team of specialists represent eight buildingSMART chapters, including; Switzerland, Norway, German Speaking, Canada, UKI, Spain, Korea and Japan.
