Closet design group offers certification program

The Association of Closet & Storage Professionals introduced a designer certification program to assist designers in marketing their skills, promoting their achievements, and defining their careers to both consumers and employers as established professionals in this competitive and specialized design field.

"This long-awaited Storage Designer Certification Program will most certainly prove to be a real asset to the industry," said Diana Augspurger, the trade group's immediate past president, in a release. "It will be the first time that custom storage designers are officially recognized and rewarded for their hard work and professional achievements."

Designer certification will be awarded at each of three certification levels: registered storage designer, certified storage designer, and master storage designer. Certification is based on five career-defining criteria: knowledge, experience, education, client recommendation and design.

"The program's three certification levels will help the consumer to identify a knowledgeable, experienced industry professional, rather than searching in the dark," said Augspurger. "The more experience and knowledge the designer has, the higher his or her certification level.

"With this program, designers will be able to differentiate themselves from their competitors that have not achieved certification status. They will be able to market these credentials to any company in the industry when seeking employment."

Qualifying designers will be certified for a two-year term and will be required to renew their certification every two years. There will be a fee charged to apply for certification at each level and to renew certifications.

For information, visit www.closets.org/certify.