A certification program is now becoming as a crucial aspect of corporate training programs.

While certifications are popular and often mandatory in regulated industries like healthcare and finance, they can also be highly sought after, widely recognized, and provide a competitive edge for companies and individuals in industries such as IT and marketing. Examples of companies that have successfully implemented certification programs include Cisco, Amazon, Google, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Microsoft.

In this blog we share advice from Liz Burns, AVP of Education Services at Appian Corporation, and Joe Cannata, Certification Director at Kinaxis on how to add certifications to your training program.

What is certification | Difference between certification and accreditation |  About digital badging | Why implement a certification program | When to implement a certification program | Costs of implementing a certification program | Critical steps when implementing a certification program | Technology to support certification programs | Industry associations

 

What is certification?

From a training perspective, certification typically refers to a formal process by which an individual is recognized as having met specific qualifications or standards in a particular area of expertise. It validates the competency and capability of individuals to perform certain tasks or jobs. Passing a test (like getting your driver’s license) or confirming that an organization met ISO standards are examples of certifications.

 

Difference between certification and accreditation

The terms “certification” and “accreditation” are often used interchangeably, but subtle differences exist. Certification is a process by which an individual, institution, or product is evaluated against predefined standards and, upon meeting these standards, is issued a certification by a recognized body. Typically, certifications are issued by professional associations, industry-specific organizations, or certifying bodies that specialize in particular fields.

In comparison, accreditation is a process by which institutions are evaluated against established standards to ensure they can properly perform certifications. Examples of accrediting bodies and accreditations include:

• The American Bar Association (ABA) accredits law schools in the United States to ensure they adhere to standards of legal education.
• Accreditation Canada accredits hospitals and other healthcare facilities to validate adherence to national standards of care and patient safety.
• UKAS accredits laboratories to ensure they comply with relevant standards and regulatory requirements when testing products and materials.

 

Digital badging for certification

Digital badging is the modern replacement for paper or PDF certificates of the past. It recognizes an individual’s skills, achievements, or competencies gained through various learning environments.

A digital badge is not just a digital image. It includes metadata that provides detailed information about the badge’s background, such as the issuing organization, the criteria it was awarded for, and the date of issuance.

They are also verifiable. The encrypted information in digital badges can be traced back to the issuer, preventing fraud and ensuring that a third party can confirm that the badge is genuine and what it stands for.

Digital badges are portable and allow individuals to market their skills and accomplishments across various platforms, including social media profiles, digital resumes, and personal websites.

 

Why companies implement a certification program

Companies implement certification programs for several key reasons.

Certifications ensure employees, partners, and users have achieved a certain standard of knowledge and skills and provide tangible recognition for their efforts. They also help businesses instill trust and confidence in their clients that certified professionals are meeting their needs with high-quality standards.

Certifications focusing on quality management and environmental health and safety can significantly mitigate risks, reduce accidents, enhance product quality, and demonstrate diligence and compliance. Certifications committed to environmental sustainability can support ESG (environmental, sustainability, and governance) targets, which may be important to consumers, partners, and regulators.

For employees, certifications can increase employee motivation, provide an opportunity to upskill and reskill, and increase job satisfaction and retention. It can also be a good tool for companies to filter through potential candidates and build an identifiable workforce to hire from.

 

When to implement a certification program

Implementing a certification program can be a strategic move that enhances credibility, improves quality and efficiency, ensures compliance, manages risk, drives product adoption, fosters continuous improvement, and increases market access.

Before implementing a certification program, it’s crucial to understand and clearly articulate the organization’s goals. Next, define the requirements for certification (and ensure it aligns with the organization’s strategic goals and customer needs). The more complex the requirements for certification, the more complex the certification program becomes.

Finally, evaluate the investment in time, money, and resources needed to implement, maintain, grow, and recertify. Plan for at least 5 to 6 months to ensure that the program is setup correctly. Remember that a “legally defensible” certification program is a stronger one so it is worth spending the time upfront to setup it correctly.

12 critical steps to implement a certification program

 

Cost to implement a certification program

The cost of building a certification program can vary widely depending on the program’s scope, the subject matter’s complexity, geographic reach, the technology infrastructure required, and the rigour of the testing process.

For a small to medium-sized certification program, costs may look like the following:

• Development Costs: $50,000 – $200,000
• Technology Costs: $20,000 – $120,000 initially; $10,000 – $30,000 annually
• Operational and Delivery Costs: $30,000 – $100,000 annually
• Total Initial Year Cost: $100,000 – $420,000

Development costs, including costs for SMEs to develop the certification’s content, structure, and criteria, range from $50 to $200 per hour (or you can use LEAi to reduce these costs significantly!).

Investment in specialized software for test development and management might range from $1,000 to over $20,000 annually. Depending on customization and scale, setting up Certification Management System software costs can initially range from $10,000 to over $100,000, while ongoing licensing or service fees can range from $5,000 or more.

If using an LMS (e.g., Skilljar, Moodle, Blackboard) to manage the certification program, initial setup fees can be minimal for open-source to significant for enterprise solutions, with ongoing costs related to scale and additional features.

Hiring proctors or using virtual proctoring services (e.g., ProctorU, Rosalyn) can add $20 to $100 per exam. Staff costs to build, manage, and grow the certification program are also involved.

These are approximate figures; actual costs could differ based on specific program requirements and decisions. Organizations should conduct a detailed needs assessment or consult with experienced professionals to develop a realistic budget and business plan for their certification program.

 

Critical steps to implement a certification program

If your organization is committed to creating a certification program, here are 12 steps to ensure that it is successful

1. Define the purpose and scope: Clearly define the skills, competencies, and knowledge that you want the certification to achieve. Ultimately, the program should address an industry gap, meet a unique need, facilitate professional growth, ensure compliance, or address another unique need.
2. Perform market research: Analyze the demand for the certification and the existence of similar offerings. Establish what will make your certification program unique.
3. Resource Assessment: Determine the resources needed (financial, human, technological) to design, develop, maintain and grow your certification program. The technology options below will provide some of the support you will require.
4. Develop certification standards: Outline the specific skills and knowledge the program will assess and the framework/structure for certification.
5. Establish governance: Develop comprehensive terms and conditions, NDA’s and security policies covering eligibility, testing, digital badging, re-certification, and disciplinary actions.
6. Curriculum Development: Develop the learning materials and resources that candidates will use to prepare for the certification exam.
7. Create the certification exam: Develop the exam questions with your subject matter experts and design an exam blueprint that defines the number and types of questions, topics covered, weighting, and difficulty level.
8. Exam administration: Decide how the exam will be delivered (proctored, unproctored, online, at a testing center, paper-based).
9. Pilot your program: Test the certification process and exam to ensure validity and reliability. Employees are good candidates to test the certification process before going out to a broader audience.
10. Launch the certification program: Set up a system and process for candidates to register, prepare, and apply for the certification. Ensure that your internal teams are certified themselves and ready to answer inquiries.
11. Market your program: Create a brand around the certification program and promote it through various channels (social media, email marketing, industry events, webinars).
12. Continuous Improvement: Regularly review feedback, certification content, exam difficulty, and logistical processes to make necessary adjustments and ensure the program stays relevant and effective and is meeting intended goals.

This process ensures that the certification program is robust, relevant, and respected, which in turn helps in building the credibility and prestige necessary for it to be successful in the marketplace.

 

Technology to support certification programs

Below are some technology options that companies can consider to facilitate the setup and ongoing management of a certification program:

• Content creation software, like LEAi, helps create training modules and assessment questions for certification programs.
• Learning Management Systems (LMS) deliver, track, and manage training and education and are useful for certification programs that require ongoing training and competency assessments. Examples of LMS include Skilljar, Moodle, Blackboard, and TalentLMS.
• Test/exam development software helps certification program managers to build the assessment questions. Examples include LearnExperts, Alpine Testing, Certiverse and Certification Management Services (CMS).
• Test/exam delivery software is designed to provide an online environment for candidates to take their certification exams. Some provide basic functionality while others provide exam question banks and sections. Some options include Pearson, Prometric, PSi, Kryterion, Questionmark, Internet testing Systems (ITS), Meazure Learning, Surpass, Cirrus, Certiverse, Strasz Systems, Data Recognition Corporation, ABMS Assesslink, Exam Studio, ATA (Asian markets) and Proctor 360.
• Digital credentialing companies provide options for creating, delivering and managing digital badges. Examples include Credly, BadgeCert, Accredible, Badgr, Open Badge Factory, Youtopia, and Forall Systems.
• Certification Management Systems (CMS) are designed to handle the end-to-end certification process, including issuing, tracking, and managing certifications. Examples include Alpine Testing (CertMetrics), Cobalt, and Heuristic Solutions.
• Test security (proctoring) software and services can be necessary for online education and remote testing, as they uphold the integrity and credibility of testing processes. Features include identifying vulnerabilities and recommending improvements, identifying unauthorized sharing of test content, and using AI and human proctoring to automatically detect any signs of cheating or rule violations. Examples include Caveon and Rosalyn.

 

Industry organizations that support certification programs

Here are some organizations that can help companies get the knowledge and help to build their own certification program:

• CEdMA (Customer Education Management Association)
• TSIA (Technology Services Industry Association)
• ICE (Institute for Credentialing Excellence)
• PTC (Performance Testing Council)
• ITCC (IT Certification Council)
• CNG (Certification Network Group)

 

Need help implementing a certification program?

Whether you need assistance to build the exam questions or would like guidance on how to build the overall certification program, give LearnExperts a call to see how we can support your business goals.

 

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Last Updated : August 30, 2024