CPIM Research Project : the effects of APICS certification on hiring and promotional decisions

Abstract

For the past ten years UW-Eau Claire has required that all Operations/Materials Mananagement Majors complete one CPIM exam, besides the Basics, to graduate. We wanted to back this decision up with hard facts to determine if this requirement is worthwhile for the students after graduation. The purpose of this research project is to find out if CPIM Certification will give students a greater chance of getting hired, start out at higher salaries, and get promotions quicker, compared to individuals that don't have certification. We also wanted to find out how supportive companies are of helping their current employees get CPIM Certified. Based on the results, we found out that CPIM Certification helps students get hired faster, get paid more, and be more likely to get a job promotion. We also found out that the majority of companies not only pay for certifications, but also provide materials for their current employees to get certified. This information provided enough facts to realize that the requirement to pass one CPIM exam should, and will be kept for all future Operations/Materials Management Majors.