Water Quality Association (WQA) members who earn a professional certification title within a year of starting WQA’s professional training program could be eligible for a rebate under an initiative announced April 8 at the 2022 WQA Convention & Exposition. The rebate, available for a limited time to Core and Premier level dealer members, would cover most online training costs and a certification exam.

“We hope this incentive encourages more people to gain the expertise and confidence that a professional certification can provide,” said WQA Professional Certification & Training Director Tanya Lubner, PhD. “At the same time, we’re offering new course formats to appeal to all types of learners so that even more people can benefit from WQA’s training and education.”

WQA offers seven professional certification titles: Certified Installer (CI), Certified Water Treatment Representative (CWR), Certified Water Specialist (CWS), Certified Service Technician (CST), Certified Cooler Technician (CCT), Certified Treatment Designer (CTD) and the advanced Master Water Specialist (MWS). Those who earn professional certification titles can use the logo and acronyms in identification and marketing efforts for instant credibility.

Professional certification title holders are highlighted in WQA’s online “find-a-provider” listings and are singled out in a special online certified professionals directory available to consumers looking for trained specialists.

WQA has developed live instructor-led training courses to help get learners started on the path toward professional certification. A course on “Assessing Water Quality Problems,” which is the first step toward a CWS or CWR title, begins April 19, and the second round of an instructor-led training course for installers interested in taking the CI exam begins June 23.

The rebate applies to the online training portion of education only, not the instructor fee for the instructor-led training courses or the discussion group participation fees of the self-directed training. Full terms and conditions, plus application information, is available at wqa.org/rebate.