How to Become a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

How to Become a Certified Black Belt

If you are looking to become a lean six sigma black belt, this post will show you how to achieve the goal, including the training and certification programs you need to complete.

Keep reading ….

Who is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt?

Lean six sigma black belts are experts who are responsible for the strategic deployment of Six Sigma in an organization. They promote and support improvement activities, provide mentoring, and deploy organizational metrics.

Black Belt Requirements and Career Pathway

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, manufacturing and business experiences, and leading and coaching capacity are some of the requirements for becoming a black belt.

Ten years of experience in a process improvement function, training, and certification through a Six Sigma accredited organization are also required. There is also the need for familiarity with concepts, practices, and procedures to become a black belt.

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification

Certification helps black belts with opportunities in securing better job vacancies and respect anywhere all over the world. Without certification, you may be good on the job, but may lack recognition from external bodies.

Here are some certification programs you may take to become a black belt:

ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt Certification:

A Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) is a professional with skillful interpretation of Six Sigma principles and philosophies. This includes supporting tools and systems. A black belt assigns tasks to his/her team members and displays team leadership qualities.

He/she understands the Six Sigma principles and all aspects of DMAIC. The Six Sigma black belt certification requires that you complete at least one project and submit an affidavit.

Preparation for the exam entails that you review the study guide, sample exams, body of knowledge, and references. Choose date and location that’s suitable for you. Each exam date has application deadlines to be noted.

To register for this program, you need your resume and credit card by your side. Also, take note of the several ways of applying offered by ASQ on their website.

There is a recertification requirement by ASQ every three years, done by testing or documentation of RU credits.

The application fee for this program is a non-refundable $70.

IASSC Black Belt Certification Program:

The IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ICBB) is a professional who skillfully uses the Lean Six Sigma Methodology to lead improvement projects.

A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt must understand all the aspects of DMAIC and learn how to interpret Six Sigma tools and use standard principles of Lean.

Certification Exam: The IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ICBB) Exam consists of 150 questions and lasts for four hours. The exam contains 30 multiple-choice true or false questions from every main section of the ILSSBOK for black belts, spread in more than 8,000 testing centers with locations in 165 countries worldwide.

Requirements: The requirements for achieving the IASSC Certified Black Belt (ICBB) from the International Association for Six Sigma Certification include sitting for the IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Exam and scoring a minimum of 580 points out of a total of 750 points.

In order to sit for the IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Exam, candidates must purchase a Black Belt Exam Voucher for $395USD.

Exam Preparation: Those who sit for the exam should have some real-life Six Sigma work and project application experiences. The Lean Six Sigma training should be obtained through a qualified corporate program, institution, or Lean Six Sigma trainer.

Certification: The International Association for Six Sigma Certification or PeopleCert issue certificate to successful candidates. There is also IASSC Marks and the IASSC Marks Usage Policy to be used on public profiles. The ICBB or IASSC Certified Black Belt is accompanied by the IASSC Marks Usage Policy.

Black Belt Licensing

Licensing grants black belts the chance to operate with written permission issued by a licensing body. They have to pay for licensing fee, take necessary exam, and get licensed after successfully passing the exam.

ATA Black Belt Licensing:

The ATA Black Belt Licensing requires that every candidate must reach 18 years of age, become a certified instructor, a first degree black belt or higher, and an active member of ATA.

The license permits you to use ATA materials in a martial arts school or club.

Qualification for the ATA licensing allows you to choose between two licensing options, the ATA Executive Licensing team can help you with the best opportunity option.

The ATA licensing can cost you $15,000, and requires renewal every three years. But the renewal requires no charge.

ATA Black Belt Licensing is the largest organized martial arts licensing organization with over 1,000 licensed locations across United States and around the world.

ATA Certified Instructors are required to attend Martial Arts Training and basic business seminar at ATA Headquarters in Little Rock, AR.

ATA operators who have become successful in their career and high-ranking black belt instructors are the teachers of the seminar.

There are trainings in traditional taekwondo and Songahm curriculum review, as well as strength and conditioning classes.

Certified Black Belt Duties and Responsibilities

The knowledge of black belt tasks is important as it helps to prepare aspiring black belts for the job.

The various duties and responsibilities of certified lean six sigma black belts include:

• Acting as a medium between executive leadership and organization improvement program
• Ensuring that improvement projects are implemented and properly funded
• Selecting projects, creating project teams, and building young talents who have the potential for becoming black belts
• Leading improvement process
• Motivating and influencing project teams
• Instructing cross-functional teams to understand improvement processes
• Facilitating Kaizen and Rapid Improvement Events
• Overseeing project improvement processes
• Setting strategy for Six Sigma project implementation
• Training other team members on how to use Six Sigma tools and techniques.

The Average Salary for Black Belts

The median annual salary of certified black belts falls between $83,408 and $110,209, varying occasionally depending on certain factors.

As of June 24 2016, the median annual Six Sigma Black Belt salary was $102,518, ranging between $93,408 and $110,209.

The female category of certified black belts earn between $57,749 and $147,368, while the male group follows, earning anywhere from $69,360 to $145,432.

According to Emory University 2008 data report, the average salary for an entry-level Lean Six Sigma Black Belt is $70,455 per year. The salary can increase up to $172,500 if work experience increases to fifteen years.

The salary can increase to $132,500 with a title of Master Six Sigma Black Belt; he/she can earn up to $202,500 annually with fifteen years of experience.

Location can cause variation in salary payment. For instance, in rural areas Six Sigma black belts may earn close to $70,000.