Durable transportation construction requires quality materials and workmanship. Learn about personnel certification requirements and ways states keep their certification requirements up-to-speed. TRB hosted a webinar on Thursday, October 2, 2025 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Eastern that covered the different certification processes used throughout state departments of transportation (DOTs) as noted in NCHRP Synthesis 638: State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel. Presenters shared cooperative efforts used to develop certification programs and explore elements of individual programs, including their history, training and certification methods, reciprocity agreements, and program management practices.
This webinar was based on NCHRP Synthesis 638: State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel.
This webinar was sponsored by TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
The slides are available. 
 
Webinar agenda and presenters

• Guidance for and a short history of sampling and testing personnel certification and qualification programs– Desna Bergold, D B Consulting & Associates, LLC
• Description of the major cooperative efforts related to certification and qualification programs and future research needs in quality assurance (QA) – Georgene Geary, GGfGA Engineering, LLC
• Question and answer session moderated by Curt Turgeon, Minnesota DOT

The first 40 minutes of the webinar were for presentations and the final 20 minutes were reserved for audience questions.
 
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants can:

• Apply guidance for field-testing personnel certification and qualification programs
• Identify methods to address QA personnel certification and qualification programs and potential ways to improve them

 
Professional Development Hours
This webinar was delivered as a scheduled – e-learning live event and is categorized within RCEP as Technical, Health and Safety.
Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.