A Closer Look at Six Sigma Green Belt Certification

The world of Six Sigma has grown and diversified in the years since its inception. Today, you'll find various belt holders working at all levels in national and international businesses. What's more, the widespread adoption of Six Sigma practices and strategies has opened up new worlds for employment. Businesses large and small need certified experts on staff. For most people, starting off with a Six Sigma Green Belt is the ideal option.

Why Green?

Why should you consider leaping straight into a Green Belt certification rather than starting off with white or yellow belt courses? There are several reasons for doing so.

• White Belts - While white belt certification can be a good way to get your feet wet with Six Sigma concepts, it's not really a means to an end in its own right. Most companies don't hire white belts, and this certification is really geared more for those who might implement some aspects of it into their daily work duties, but decide not to make a career of Six Sigma.

• Yellow Belt - Yellow belt certification is really "basic training". It's a springboard to higher belts and isn't usually sought after by employers (at least in new employees - some companies do mandate that their current staff obtain yellow belt certification).

As you can see, a Six Sigma Green Belt certification is an ideal option for those hoping to get in on the ground floor with this process improvement system and still have good job prospects available to them.

What Will You Learn with Green Belt Certification?

For those who haven't looked into the courses available, you'll find that the certification courses vary from one educator to another. However, a quality training provider will give you an in-depth foundation on the following:

• Project definition
• Selection process
• Deployment
• Process mapping
• Input prioritization
• Capability analysis
• Statistical process control
• Integration of lean
• Project planning and deliverables
• Hypothesis testing
• Variation trees and funneling

These are only a few of the topics you'll learn from a quality program.

Job Opportunities for Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Holders

You might be wondering just what types of careers you will be able to jump into with your certification. Actually, there are numerous different options within the various industries out there. Project engineers are usually green belt holders, but so are mid and upper level project managers. Many business consultants also hold these certifications, as do clinical statisticians and mechanical engineers. The world is truly wide open for those who hold this type of certification.

Onward and Upward

Another reason to consider obtaining this certification is the fact that you can move up to black belt status with just one more course. It's also a prerequisite for training providers that offer a Black Belt after their Green Belt programs. In some organizations the green belt is part of a four week black belt program.

With this certification, you can look forward to an immense number of career opportunities within virtually any industry on the planet. Every business and organization needs skilled Six Sigma personnel.