I live in a state (Florida) where if I decided tomorrow to be a barber, I would not be allowed until I went through and training and licensing process. After all there's sharp tools involved and the customer might get cut. Our credentials and certifications will not start to mean anything to consumers until it is necessary to have credentials (under state law) in order to take money for putting brakes on someones family sedan. And if your caught taking money for repairs without a license, you're busted. The technology is too advanced, the cost of failure too high, and the risk and danger to consumers too great to allow a novice to do what we do for less money without the consequence of liability. It's true certifications are no a substitute for experience, knowledge of theory of operation and down right grit and grime under the fingernails. But I believe credentials are a key component in delivering us from the status of grease monkey to automotive service professional. We need to shut the doors to those who either don't or won't qualify themselves. I'll give an example of a mechanic named Frank. Frank started out as a mechanic in the Army and after four years went to work for a local Chrysler dealership. Frank was what you call an A list producer. He was put to task at the dealer rebuilding engines in the Florida Highway Patrol cars. (Yeah baby 440ci Chrysler) He would pull the engine, tear down, renew bearing and gaskets, valve job the heads and reassemble and back in the car...in one day. Frank went to plenty of classes provided by Chrysler and the dealer receiving his certificates of attendance. Later he decided to leave the dealership and open his own shop. You might notice this is a story not uncommon to many in the industry. By the time I met Frank he was burned out with fixing the cars and running the business. I bought his business and Frank went off to another career in landscaping for a while. We stayed in touch and a few years before Frank turned 60, he asked me to hire him. That turned out to be my first encounter with an A lister technician. It was breath taking to watch him. No longer doubting his engine overhaul in a day, I watch Frank run circles around three 20 year old technician somethings. But what I learned also was He had learned some bad habits, though he wasn't aware. I watch Frank one day doing front brake pads and asked why he didn't open the bleed valve when compressing the caliper piston. You can guess his answer, "well, I just always done it this way". I pointed out to him that the right answer on the test is to open the bleeder valve. Now some 40 years and Frank didn't know. He had never taken a test that gave him a broad view of industry standards. It's not that Frank didn't want to do the right procedure, He didn't know because he was never taught that an ABS control module could come back and bite you if you squeeze nasty brake fluid back up in to it. Frank was always nervous about taking tests. Had he more years ahead of himself in the career, I would have personally tutored him to make sure he passed his test to become master certified and have a title worthy of his experience and ability. At any time, in any shop, as you know a simple misstep, and suddenly you've ruined some expensive part. Mix the wrong fluids together and you've got a serious science project going on. I believe the time has come to move our industry into the realm of professional services. No more hacks. You're either a pro, or your working towards becoming one.