FACT CHECK: Certified or Accredited: Put Professional Development Programs to the Test

As an organization that strives for the gold standard in professional development, Business U has taken notice lately of how vendors market their training programs which has prompted our team to develop yet another “fact check” article. “Understanding what you are buying in a professional development program is important to maximize results in your investment,” said Business U CEO/Co-founder, Christine Bosworth, Ed.D.

Public sector workforce and education organizations require a high level of standards when investing in training for their own customers, yet somehow these standards become somewhat “looser” when these organizations seek out training providers for their own staff.

Here’s a quick guide to help you understand key industry terms, followed by 5 simple interview questions to ask any organization before hiring them for professional development.

Key Terms

Professional Certification is the process by which a person proves that he or she has the knowledge, experience and skills to perform a specific job.

Certificate Program is a training program on a specialized topic for which participants receive a certificate after completing the course and passing an assessment instrument. This is not to be confused with the commonly used "certificate of attendance" or “certificate” given at the completion of many continuing education courses to validate attendance.

Accreditation is third-party validation awarded to an organization that has achieved a particular status by meeting standards set by external regulators.

Interview Questions

Here are 5 questions that will help you understand the level of effort and sophistication in the professional development that you are investing in.

1. If the vendor offers a certificate program, ask how the program is certified and by whom?
2. Ask what standards were used to certify the program and the process for certification?
3. To verify the quality of the certifying body, ask if the certificate is attached with continuing education units? Not all CEUs are the same; this article explains why.
4. How are participant skills tested and validated for a certificate program or a certificate?
5. Have there been any students who have not passed and received the certificate? If so, what have been those instances and how did the vendor resolve?

These questions are a good starting place to help you dig a little deeper into the actual credentials of the organization or trainer, and will help you be informed when investing in professional development.

Additionally, we’ve noticed that the terms "accreditation" and "certification" are sometimes used interchangeably when marketing professional development programs; however, they are not synonymous and there is a major difference between the two.

Accreditation: The Gold Standard

Accreditation is third-party validation awarded to an organization that has achieved a particular status by meeting standards set by external regulators. Meeting standards is a time intensive process that requires ongoing dedication of the organization to maintain its accreditation status. There is an application process, documentation of evidence in meeting standards and continuous process improvement that must be adhered to. Organizations seeking accreditation require a site visit to validate that all standards are being met.

Additionally, an accreditation may apply to a single class or a series of classes, while institutional accreditation means that every product and service deployed by the organization adheres to the same level of standards set forth by the regulators.

Business U earned its institutionally accredited status in 2016 through the International Association of Continuing Education and Training, the pioneers of the continuing education unit (CEU). IACET uses the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training which is a universal model for learning process excellence across ten nationally recognized categories: Continuing Education and Training Organization; Responsibility and Control; Learning Environment and Support Systems; Learning Event Planning; Learning Outcomes; Planning and Instructional Personnel; Content and Instructional Methods; Assessment of Learning Outcomes; and Awarding CEUs and Maintaining Learner Records

For more information, this IACET article explains how to Beware of Copycat Accreditations That Lack Integrity.