Does the training cost anything?
Nope. All our courses are free for state employees.
What course should I take?
If you want to learn the basics of continuous improvement, take White Belt. If you want to lead a project, take Yellow Belt.
Do I need to take White Belt before Yellow Belt?
No. These courses overlap considerably, so we do not recommend taking these courses back-to-back. If you want to lead a project, take Yellow Belt. If you want to participate on an improvement team, take White Belt.
I got added to the waitlist when I tried signing up for a course. How will I know if I make it into the class?
If you're added to the course, you'll receive an automatically generated email from the Cornerstone system notifying you that you've been enrolled. In addition to the enrollment email, we'll also send out an email with more detailed information a week or two before the class starts.
I've taken the State of Wisconsin's Yellow Belt training, can I say I'm Yellow Belt certified?
To receive full Yellow Belt certification through the State of Wisconsin, you need to lead a continuous improvement project and submit a project form.
Does my Yellow Belt certificate give me transferrable credentials?
There are two organizations which are widely recognized for Lean Six Sigma in industry, and those are American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC). However, there is no standardization and many training providers offer certification that differs from these two organizations, meaning there are no “official" Lean Six Sigma certifications.
Our certificates that we enter into Cornerstone for White Belt and Yellow Belt training do not count towards these ASQ or IASSC certifications described above, however, they are valid and look great on a resume. Additionally, many employees who have taken our training have gone on to take Green Belt training through UW-Madison and other training providers.
Can we have multiple team leads for our Yellow Belt project?
For Yellow Belt certification, we allow a maximum of two team leads per Yellow Belt project.
I've completed my Yellow Belt project. When will I get my certificate?
Once you've submitted your project in the employee project portal, your agency's continuous improvement contact will confirm it meets all requirements. Once your project is confirmed as complete, DOA's Strategic Management and Planning Program will send your certificate to your agency’s continuous improvement contact. In general, you should expect your certificate about a month after finalizing your project.
Do you plan on offering Green Belt training?
No. We've found that relatively few state employees benefit from Green Belt training. If you're already Yellow Belt certified, we recommend leading another improvement effort or taking a different course.
Is this training available to county and local employees?
While we’d love to serve all government employees, right now our focus is on improving state government. We might make our resources more widely available in future, but we have no formal plans to do so at this time.