IRCA launches new auditor qualification for the global electronics industry
IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors) has announced the launch of a new professional qualification for auditors working to assure labour, ethics, health and safety and environmental standards within the global electronics industry supply chain: the IRCA EICC-GeSI Auditor certification programme.
The IRCA EICC-GeSI Auditor programme has been developed to support the common audit approach – developed by the global electronics industries through the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition, Inc (EICC) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) – which promotes social and environmental responsibility and creates efficiencies in the global electronics supply chain. This approach saves suppliers and EICC and GeSI members the time and expense of multiple audits: suppliers are audited once and can share the findings with all EICC and GeSI member companies.
IRCA has been engaged as a partner to EICC to provide a certification and regulatory framework for the training that auditors receive and the certification of auditors who operate in this industry sector and to provide confidence that certified auditors are competent to audit.
Simon Feary, Director of IRCA, said:
’As the global certification body for management systems auditors, IRCA is delighted to be supporting CSR systems within the electronics industry through this latest auditor qualification.
‘The competence and integrity of supply chain auditors is the lynch pin for providing stakeholders – purchasers, consumers, government and NGOs - with confidence and this new programme makes a large contribution to that end in this sector. And with the backing of the purchasing organizations – ranging from Xerox to Dell and from Microsoft to Cisco - that make up EICC membership, this programme has serious buy-in from industry.’
The IRCA EICC-GeSI Auditor Certification programme offers certification at three grades – Provisional Auditor, Auditor and Lead Auditor – and within two areas of specialism: ‘Labour and Ethics’, and ‘Environmental, Health and Safety’. To achieve certification, auditors must pass the relevant EICC-GeSI auditor training and examination and demonstrate appropriate audit and industry credibility.
EICC have stated that: ’From the beginning of 2011, audit teams performing EICC-GeSI Validated Audits must be led by an auditor who has successfully completed the IRCA certified EICC-GeSI Labour and Ethics Lead Auditor course and has either achieved or applied for IRCA EICC-GeSI Lead Auditor certification under the Labour and Ethics scope.’
EICC has nominated Verite as the training provider for this programme. For a calendar of upcoming courses, or to register, visit Verite’s website at www.verite.org.