The Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League (PEARL), a national trade organization for companies that supply quality surplus and reconditioned electrical equipment, offers a Technician Certification program for those individuals employed by full voting member companies of PEARL looking to become recognized as Certified Electrical Equipment Reconditioning Technicians. As a standards-bearing organization, PEARL’s mission is to ensure that reconditioned electrical equipment reintroduced into the marketplace is safe and reliable. A benefit of PEARL membership, companies that encourage their employees to become PEARL- certified are leading the way in the industry by helping to fulfill PEARL’s overall mission. Not only does certification raise an employee’s proficiency level, it also gives PEARL member companies who employ certified technicians a marketable edge and elevated status within the industry.

“PEARL’s Technician Certification program is an important part of the organization’s mission to promote best practices throughout the electrical equipment industry,” said Howard Herndon, president of PEARL. “Voting member companies of PEARL that encourage their employees to become certified are committed to making certain that reconditioned equipment meets PEARL’s high standards for safety and quality. But advocating for program participation is more than a company’s commitment to the industry – it’s a commitment to employee education and growth.”

PEARL launched its Technician Certification program in 2014 and currently offers Level I and Level II certifications to employees of Full Dealer and Full Service PEARL member companies, which are designated voting members of the organization. Through a combination of practical, hands-on experience, training, and successful completion of an online certification exam, individuals obtaining certification through PEARL will have demonstrated their ability to perform specific reconditioning tasks by virtue of their technical knowledge and experience. Certified technicians will also be considered ‘qualified’ technicians. Qualified technicians are defined in the 2017 ANSI/PEARL Electrical Equipment Reconditioning Standard as individuals who have “received training in and have demonstrated skills and knowledge in one or more of the following: construction, assembly, testing, inspection, and/or operation of electric equipment and installations and the hazards involved. Qualified technicians shall be capable of evaluating electrical equipment to determine if it functions to manufacturers’ published specifications if available, and industry standards.”

“The positive end results of certification are countless,” Herndon emphasized. “Certification helps boost employee morale, decreases accidents and associated costs, and reduces warranty claims. For an individual, certification can represent that next step forward in their career path while enhancing their professional growth.”