The following are benefits to participating firms:

• Flexibility.  Companies will have maximum flexibility in designing training programs to meet the standards and the companies’ business requirements.

• Measurable competencies.  By using the national skill certifications as benchmarks and guideposts, employers will have the advantage of objective third party measurements regarding attained competencies.

• Return on investment.  Employers can establish predetermined goals for the training and will have the capability of measuring the results against the goals.

• Accelerated completion.  It will be possible for employers to accelerate training of the apprentices by using the NIMS certification as the benchmarks for skill attainment, rather than the traditional time basis.

• Instructor certifications.  Instructors being used to provide related theory instruction can be certified by NIMS.

• Achievement awards.  Employers will receive national certificates for their program from both the U.S. Department from Labor and NIMS.

• Marketing advantages.  Participation sends a signal about the company’s leadership in the industry to its external and internal customers, its Board of Directors, and its employees, both present and future.

The following are benefits to apprentices whose employers are participating pilots:

• Nationally recognized certificates.  Upon completion of training, apprentices will receive journey-level certificates and cards from the U.S Department of Labor and national certificates and cards from NIMS.

• National credentials.  NIMS will award national credentials upon successful testing for each competence within the training design.

The following will be expected of each company:

• Employers will be expected to register their program with the Department of Labor incorporating the NIMS performance measures and tests within the program.

• Employers are expected to design the programs to require the earning of NIMS credentials as performance benchmarks.

• Employers are expected to indicate their willingness to invest in training designs that support accelerated learning.

Apprentices will be required to earn NIMS credentials, certifying their skills in accord with their employer’s training design.