(ASQ: Milwaukee) -- The American Society for Quality (ASQ), a leading authority on quality in all fields, organizations, and industries, issued more than 6,500 certifications in the United States in 2011 as part of a Manufacturing Institute partnership designed to help fill advanced manufacturing positions. The Manufacturing Institute’s Manufacturing Skills Certification System was developed to directly address the deficits in manufacturing education and training, which is limiting the pool of qualified candidates for highly skilled manufacturing jobs. The system is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers.

The Manufacturing Institute and its partners set a goal of issuing 500,000 industry-based certifications to individuals by 2016. In 2011, the program’s first year, the institute and its partners issued 84,738 credentials.

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