Certification and Workplace Learning

Certification is becoming a more important part of the workplace learning and performance profession.  Certification ensures the quality and skill of those who earn it and the value and effectiveness of those who provide it.  In an era in which we are understandably skeptical of unfounded claims and inundated with false promises, certification is the training world’s Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. 

I work as an Assessor for one of the leading certification bodies in the world, American National Standards Institute (ANSI).  Long known for their certification of products and technical processes, ANSI is also a leader in personnel certification and certificate program accreditation.  A growing number of industries, facing increased public pressure for accountability and quality, are seeking or being forced to undertake certification of key job positions to ensure that only fully qualified personnel are allowed to perform mission-critical work.

Certification versus Certificate Program

Many learning professionals are confused about what constitutes certification and how it differs from other types of training, especially certificate programs.  According to ANSI, certification is defined as:

A process through which an entity grants a time-limited recognition to an individual after verifying that she/he has met established criteria for proficiency or competency, usually through an eligibility application and assessment. (Source: ASTM E2659-09, clause 4.3)

A certificate program, conversely, is a non-degreed education or training program that consists of a fixed learning event and a system to award a certificate based on achievement of program requisites or attendance.  Certificate programs actually come in two types: achievement and attendance.  In the former, some type of assessment, such as final exam, is used to determine knowledge acquisition.  In the case of attendance-only programs, merely attending the required number of hours earns a certificate.

The table below summarizes differences between certification and certificate programs.

	Certification	Certificate
Purpose	To indicate previously attained mastery-demonstration of requied competencies to pracice in terms of knowledge, skills, and attributes	To indicate completion of course(s) and demonstrate knowledge with a specific focus
Asseses	Current knowledge, skills, abilities	Attainment of intended learning outcomes
Consists of	An assessment process, e.g., examiation, evaluation, assessment, measurement	(1) An educational/training event (2) An assesment process
Awarded by	A third-party, standard-setting organization	A training/educational program or institution
Recertification	Ongoing requirement for maintaining proficiency/competency	No ongoing maintenance or renewal requirements
Attribution	Can be revoked	Cannot be revoked
Outcome	Results in a formal designation/job title	Listed on resume as certificate (but not limited)
Core  components	- Eligibility requirement(s) - Assessment(s) -Ongoing requirement(s)	- Learning events -Assessment of intended  learning attainment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Source: American National Standards Institute)

Certification Requirements

Certification has rigorous requirements suited to its overall purpose to ensure that those awarded certification are qualified to perform specified work.  The first requirement is that a third-party organization, such as an industry, government, or non-profit standard-setting body, be in charge of determining requirements and awarding certification.  For example, some certifications are granted by states, such as certifications for nurses, aircraft pilots, and teachers.  Some certifications are awarded by industry and trade organizations, such as those in the information technology, paralegal, and massage therapy professions.  Finally, non-profit organizations such as ANSI and the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) also accredit certification bodies to give the public confidence in the quality and market value of certification programs.

The second key requirement for certification consists of the prerequisites and requirements for eligibility.  Certification may require certain levels of education, fields of study, years of experience, employment in specific jobs, or other requirements to be eligible.  Some certification providers also offer education and training in these prerequisite fields to enable people to meet eligibility requirements.  Others simply design and administer assessments to determine qualification.

The third key component is the use of a rigorous assessment process consisting at minimum of the following:

• A job task/competency analysis of the position
• A validated examination that includes a performance component
• Passing score set by a criterion-referenced methodology (such as Angoff)
• Detailed recordkeeping of individual test results
• On-going monitoring of test reliability and validity.

Finally, certification is driven by its time-based nature.  Unlike college degrees, which never expire, certifications do have expiration dates and specific requirements to maintain certification beyond initial expiration.  This might include a certain amount of continuing professional development or the need to retake an assessment and pay fees periodically.

The Accreditation Process

For those organizations seeking accreditation from a third party, such as ANSI, the process is also quite rigorous.  Prospective certifiers must complete a detailed application and provide supporting documentation to show the quality of their management systems and assessment process.  They must also pass an on-site visit by two expert assessors, who prepare a report and make recommendations to a certification committee, consisting of a panel of experts who make the final accreditation decision.

To maintain accreditation, certification providers must complete annual surveillance and demonstrate that their program continues to meet all requirements of the accrediting body.  Assessment methods used to verify compliance with requirements include desk review, interviews, onsite observation, on-going monitoring and the use of triangulation to corroborate findings.

To learn more about certification and its requirements, visit American National Standards Institute’s web site at: www.ansi.org.
 
Donald J. Ford, Ph.D., C.P.T.
President
Training Education Management LLC
Redondo Beach, CA  90277