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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Certification in Plastics Exam Moves to the Internet

Washington (April 9, 2001) — The National Certification in Plastics (NCP) exam, the only national standard to assess plastics industry worker skills and training, will be administered via the Internet beginning April 30, 2001, the program's sponsor, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) announced today.

“We are responding to industry demand by making certification more convenient and accessible,” said Gary Moore, SPI's director of workforce development. Moore added that companies in remote or rural locations in particular would benefit from the Internet option.

SPI has partnered with Dallas-based NetCertification to provide the Web-based exam as well as on-line registration and exam scheduling.

Previously, NCP exam candidates were required to take the exam at a designated test center. The test center option remains available and is now complemented by the new Internet delivery. The NCP exam can be administered locally at community colleges or plant computer labs, making it possible for companies to certify their employees with a minimal impact on daily operations.

“A facility with 10 computers can offer the exam twice a day and process 100 candidates in one week,” Moore said, noting that productivity loss and travel time and expenses were perceived as a barrier to company participation in the NCP in the past.

To ensure the exam's integrity, the Internet-based option will feature multiple encryption of exam questions, student and proctor passwords, randomized question order and one-at-a-time question delivery and response. All exams will be given in a proctored environment and the proctors will be independent, third party observers.

The National Certification in Plastics program was developed by SPI with the participation of thousands of plastics industry volunteers. Certification promotes consistent standards of worker performance, develops qualified and motivated employees and ensures an effective, skilled workforce to sustain and grow the plastics industry's competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Exams are offered in each of four major plastics processes: injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and thermoforming, and are geared toward skilled machine operators, process technicians, setup technicians, supervisors and others with overall responsibility for plastics production machine operators.

For more information about NCP, visit www.certifyme.org.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc is the trade association representing one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States. SPI's 1,600 members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw material suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.5 million workers and provides $304 billion in annual shipments.

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