HKSQ Certified Professional Scheme - Certified Laboratory Quality Specialist (CLabQS)

Testing and Certification Industry is one of the six priority industries where Hong Kong Government has promoted to be clear advantages and has good potential for further development. After that Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC) was established on 17 September 2009 and the first report was released in March 2010. Since one of the key roles of HKSQ is as a bridge to employ the underpinning principles in developing the educated talents to meet industry expectations, we launched the personal certification scheme to support HKCTC in 2009. In fact, this idea has been incubated in our minds since 2002. In that time, students for chemistry and biology were recognized without realizing the industrial requirements in laboratory operations. Thus, I delivered two particular training seminars on the related context for chemistry and biology students in City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) in 2002. After that HKSQ and CityUHK initiated a certification course entitled "Quality Management for Laboratory" since 2005. The CLabQS personal certification scheme was developed based on ISO 17024 requirement (Conformity assessment -- General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons) and launched in 2009. So, the students completed the certification course could become Provisional LabQS. Once they have relevant and not less than 3 years working experience, CLabQS would be granted.

Recently, HKSQ accreditation board approved the individual assessment path for HKSQ professional certification scheme and it has just applied in CLabQS. The detailed requirement was posted in HKSQ website at http://www.hksq.org/cert_hksq_clabqs.htm.

Individuals who had, in previous 5 years, successfully completed a course that is claimed to be equivalent to the certificate course on "Quality Management for Laboratory" organized by HKSQ, and with 3 years of related laboratory experience*, can apply for registration as Certified Laboratory Quality Specialist (HKSQ) through individual assessment.

The overall summary is shown in Table A (for Provisional LabQS) and Table B (for CLabQS).

The following information showed the past course activities including technology visits and laboratory workshops.

2011

HKSQ & CityU Industrial Visit to HKSTP Laboratories 2011 - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2011/03/hksq-cityu-industrial-visit-to-hkstp.html

HKSQ & CityU visit CMA Testing and Certification Laboratories Ltd. - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2011/04/hksq-cityu-visit-cma-testing-and.html

2010

Introduction of HKSQ Certified Laboratory Quality Specialist (CLabQS) to MSc (Analytical Chemistry) Student, HKBU - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2010/05/introduction-hksq-certified-laboratory.html

Laboratory Workshop in HKSQ certification course “QM for Lab” - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2010/04/laboratory-workshop-in-hksq.html

Industrial Visit to HKSTP Laboratories - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2010/03/industrial-visit-to-hkstp-laboratories.html

Industrial Visit to Standards and Calibration Laboratory, ITC, HKSAR - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2010/03/industrial-visit-to-standards-and.html

2009

Certificate Course on “Quality Management for Laboratory” supported by HKSQ - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2009/12/certificate-course-on-quality.html

2007

Certificate Course on Quality Management for Laboratory - http://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2007/12/certificate-course-on-quality.html

For more information:

CLabQS: http://www.hksq.org/cert_hksq_clabqs.htm

QMforLab: http://www.hksq.org/nevents.htm

MSc in Analytical Chemistry: http://chem.hkbu.edu.hk/msc/