What's the policy on getting green or black belt six sigma certified not taught at an Army facility?

2016-12-07T04:15:56-05:00

Wondering do we get credit for the training? Do we get the ASI? Any guidance on this would be appreciated before I waste money on fruitless courses.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2016 5:08 AM

2016-12-07T05:08:42-05:00

I'm unaware of any sigma certifications for Army Officers, it does go on your acquisition record if you are a 51 series, and there are some civilian positions where it comes into play. The only ASI on a non-medical/professional certification that I'm aware of is the engineer ASI for a PMP cert.

That said, six sigma will help in your military career and certainly increase you hiring potential after service. I would highly recommend it as it gives you some good tools to practice and implement lean continuous improvement techniques.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Dec 7 at 2016 10:08 AM

2016-12-07T10:08:34-05:00

I dont have a full answer for you here -- but having a six sigma certification may be quite helpful for you in civilian company recruiting, particularly for companies with big dependencies on process improvement like logistics, etc.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Dec 7 at 2016 12:15 PM

2016-12-07T12:15:39-05:00

It is my understanding as of JAN 2016 when I retired, that you can only get the Skill Identifier 1X, 1Y, or 1Z if you complete the Army LSS program. That means completing the classroom instruction, passing the tests, and a completing a certification project.

I met a soldier who has a certification through a civilian program and it was not accepted.

As a certified LSS Green Belt through the Army program, it was great experience. The unfortunate thing is that most commanders and senior leaders that I encountered are not big into LSS. Some of them told me that it is a waste of time. Personally, it gave me tools for problem solving.

On a very positive note, most companies that I've encountered in the civilian side LOVE LSS certified folks. It opens doors.

I don't know of anyone in the army that got a cool sexy assignment for having an LSS certification. Rest assure that your civilian LSS certification will help you in life after the Army.

Good luck.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2016 11:51 AM

2016-12-08T11:51:46-05:00

You could just take the course at a local university. It's definitely worth the money and helps with civilian employment. If you are looking further into PM work, you should dive into Certified SCRUM Master, PMP, and ITIL V3.