University as third party CAE/CAD certifier for the industry: A case of on open source LMS based certification as EPLAN Certified Engineer

The paper presents a new international certification model of the so called EPLAN Certified Engineer (ECE), based on cooperation between the industry and university. It specifies the certification and assessment procedure, based on online testing open source learning management system (LMS). It looks in detail at the conceptual development of the third-party CAE/CAD certification, created between the Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln gGmbH - University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with EPLAN Software and Service company, a market leader in development and training in electrical CAE/CAD. It argues that the effective interface management, communication plan and the costumer oriented technical-didactical form of the concept, has been essential for the viability and success of the model. It concludes that cooperation between the industry and university enhances the university´s and firm´s reputation with consumers and environmental competitors and has had positive financial effects for the both parties. It concludes that on the whole, these joint certification programs have a convenient side effect, like to be the successful way for the development of high-quality training opportunities for the students.