Incorporating industry-recognized geitgtifcatian.

Goodman, Tara G. ; Meyer, Matthew ; Imperatore, Catherine 等

Industry-recognized certifications are an increasingly critical component of the toolkit preparing students for college and career. These credentials, which are typically awarded by a particular business, or an industry association, identify those who have demonstrated mastery or competency of skills and knowledge that industry needs. This "by industry, for industry" locus is of grpwing interest to students seeking to be wellprepared for their futures, as well as to education, business and workforce leaders interested in developing a qualified workforce.

In addition to being awarded by a business. track association or other industry group, certifications typically follow successful completion or an exam or other assessment, and are time-limited, requiring renewal through a recertification process. Furthermore, certifications are not of equal value to employers and thereibre are not of equal value to St students earning these certifications. The term "industry--recognized" means that the certification is sought or accepted by employers within the industry or sector as a recognized, preferred or rcc1uired credential for recruitment, screening. hiring, recntion or advancement; and, where appropriate, is endorsed by a nationally recognized trade association or organ ization representing a significant portion ol' the industry or sector. These industry--recognized certifications and more and more becoming a focus ol career and technical education (CTE) programs across the country.

The following case studies look at two states taking the lead in incorporating industry-recognized certifications in high. demand fields into CTE programs. These profiles demonstrate the role that state and institutional policies, funding and other incentives play in helping education systems dramatically increase the percentage or secondary and postsecondary students earnitig valued certifications.

While this article will focus solely on how states and institutions are using cen licat it ins developed and awarded 1>y intlust r. many other credentials are valuable to employers--cit her on their own or combined with certifications--includ-ing post secondary certificates, degrees and licenses. In addition, there are many vigorous educational programs, curricula ahd assessinents that arc not developed by. indust butt that: are aligned with industry technical and or career-readiness standards. Tltese valuable tools play an important role in preparing students for college and carcer readiness.

Florida Supports Students Earning Articulated Certifications

In an effort to forge an ongoing partnership between the business and education communities to attract, expand and retain high-value industry, the Florida Legislature passed landmark legislation in 2007, the Florida Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Act. For the business community, its purpose was to support local and regional economic development, as well as to respond to the state's crit ical workIbrce needs. For the education community and students, its purpose was to improve academic performance through rigorous and relevant. courscwork that leads to industry certification and to provide access to high-skill, high-wage, high-demand occupations. This state law was passed very soon after the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act in 2006, which also had a strong emphasis on technical skill attainment. The CAPE Act dovetailed well with Florida's Perkins implementation plan.

One oldie key elements of the Act was the desire to provide opportunities for high school students to earn certifications in targeted occupational areas, enhancing their career skills and college readiness. At the state level. business and education agencies formed a standing work group charged with identifying certifications appropriate for secondary students. In the beginning, the group agreed upon a definition of an industry certification as being nationally recognized and applicable to an occupation that is included in the workforce system's targeted occupation list, determined to be an occupation that is critical or emerging, or addresses a local need.

Theidentification of certifications of value For students to earn in high school is bused on this definition. and the multi-agency work group convenes annually to review and approve new certifications that meet the definition. Florida's CTE programs include embedded curriculum standards that support students acquiring technical skills demonstrated by attainment of relevant industry certifications. Industry certifications are linked to most CTE curriculum Frameworks through an annual review prncess. The approved list of certifications docs not include the demonstration of soft skills or basic reading and mathemat ical skills. which are covered by other assessments. The focus is on technical skills required 14 success-fill entry into high-skill, high-wage jobs.

Unprecedented Growth

The growth in student attainment or ccr-fications since the passage or the CAPE .'ct has been exponential. The annual number of these credentials earned by secondary sudents has grown from 954 in 2007-08 to 61,568 in 2012-13. More than 150,000 certifications have been earned by high school st udents through 2012-13 since the passage or the law in 2007.

Incentives were critical to the growth in the number of certifications earned. The incentives for schools to oiler certification opportunities to their students are significant and have resulted in millions of additional dollars in state funding, including:

* perlormance Funds in the limn of additional full-time equivalent (VIE) student membership in the K-12 Funding thrmula

* inclusion of inditstry certification attempts and completions in high school and middle school grading systems

The peribrmance funding generated has increased from less than ,77, I in in 2008 09 to more than S.1-0 million in 2013--14. The law requires that 80 percent of the funds be provided to the program that generated the peribrmance, and the funds may not be used to supplant regular Funds provided based on course enroll-MentS. This funding stream provides programs the resources needed to pay for certification exam costs and to have up-to-date equipment. software and other materials. Plus. beginning in 2014-15, teachers whose Students earn industry certilications are eligible for up to $2,000 in additional compensation.

In addition to the performance funds, the integration of certification participation and performance into the state's middle and high school accountability formula was a significant driver of the growth in certifications earned. The point system used to derive the A-to-F frading formula for Florida's public schools includes components for participation and performance in accelerated coursework. For the formula calculation, industry certification is treated the same as advanced placement (AP), International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment programs. In (he first year alter certifications were added to the school grading formula, the number of certifications earned increased by more than 500 percent.

Career Pathways St 'dent transition to college and careers is the primary goal of the CAPE Act. To facilitate career pathways for students, the Florida Department of Education (FDOL. developed statewide articulation agreements for transition into related Associate in Science (A.S.) degree programs. Known as "gold standard career pathways, these competency-based agreements are developed by the FDOE and approved by the State Board of Education through a partnership with I he occupational deans of the Florida College System institutions. The technical skills demonstrated by attainment of a certification are matched with the skills in related A.S. degree programs. The agreement guarantees a minimum number of articulated credits based on the attainment of the certification. In addition, a student earning a certification may have multiple program pathways from which to choose. For example, the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Certified Production Technician (CPT) certification may lead to college credit in three different A.S. degree programs--Electronics Engi neeri nu; .1 echnologv, Engineering Technology and Nlanufacturing Technology. In relation to performance funding. a greater weight is applied when students earn certifications with statewide articulation than when they earn cert ifications Without articulation.

Implementation

Administrative and logistical challenges to program implementation do exist. An infrastructure for data reporting and testing program management is critical to a successful industry certification program. School districts must commit resources to tracking student progress, maintaining student testing records and reporting student outcomes to the state. School staff must manage a testing schedule in an environment that is already crowded with other required assessments. UTE programs face pressure for their students to produce points in the school grading formula for industry certification attainment.

Despite these chalknges. the CAPE Act enhanced the state's already strong CTE programs and provided statewide visibility to the value of a career pathwav for Florida's students. Such high-profile attention creates an infusion Of critical resources, allowing districts to improve their programs and, more importantly. Act enhance the career and college prospects for their students. The benefits of this emphasis on certification attainment led the Florida Legislature in 2013 to expand the initiative to include certification for postsecondary students.

North Carolina Community Colleges Incorporate Certifications

The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) was Ibunded more than 50 years ago on the premise of creating a skilled worklbrce. The NCCCS continues to Fulfill this mission, despite changing education and worktbrce challenges. 'Mannlact tiring and technical fields are experiencing a resurgence in North Can iii and throughout the nation; however, the state is struggling to meet industry denrand due to a skill and interest gap among the state's worklbrce. In recent years and under the leadership or Scott Rails, NCCCS president, the NCCCS has implemented initiatives Focused on growing IIic state's workforce training in technical fields and increasing opportunities for students to attain industry-recognized credentials and experience work-based learning in critical industry sectors.

One of the first such initiatives began in 2009 when North Carolina was selected as one of four sites natioitwide to pilot the National Association of a riufactur-ers NA NI-endorsed Skills Certification System. This system is a set of nationally recognized industry certifications, identified and vetted by the Manufacturing Institure as the certifications most valued by various manufacturing sectors. Examples include the previously mentioned MSSG CPT certification and the Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding certification form the American Welding Societys

Pilot Program

Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem was identified as the state community college 10 participate in the pilot project. The college initiated implementation of the NAM-ettdorsed Skills Certification System by mapping out regional assets in the Piedmont Triad and defining local manufacturing skill requirements. After determining assets in the region and the needs of local industry, Forsyth Tech began the process of aligning curriculum with industy-recognized third-party certifications. Through this process. the college Was able to integrate the NAM-endorsed system into four program areas: Mechanical Engineering 'Technologies. Computer-integrated Machining, Industrial System Technologies and Welding. Duke Energy provided much-needed Funding to support live additional North Carolina community colleges in impleMenting the NAM-endorsed system, with Forsyth Tech serving as the lead college.

Currently, 48 North Carolina community colleges offer training to prepare students for at least one of the industry-recognized certifications that are part of the NAM-endorsed system. These programs are reaping results: In 2012. 1,520 individuals in North Carolina received manufacturing-related third-party industry certifications. Forsyth Tech's pioneering effort on die NAM-endorsed Skills Certification System and the college's willingness to mentor other North Carolina community colleges contributed IA) the growth in the number olindustry-recognized certifications earned.

Tiered Funding

However, during this process challenges to scaling up certification statewide were identified. These included funding I'm. sustaining the effort, the portability of credentials and industry buy-in. combat funding issues. the NCGCS convinced the North Carolina General Assembly in 2010 to enact a tiered FTE Innding model for the state's community colleges. providing high-cost programs like manufacturing, health care and laboratory-intensive science the highest level of funding within the tiered model. This tiered funding formula incentivizes colleges to offer programs that lead to third-party industry certi heat ions.

Integration Into Curriculum

Other initiatives have been implemented to enhance I lw connection between community college programming and the credentials demanded by business. Historically, students had enrolled at North Carolina's community colleges already possessing valid third-party industry certilications, but colleges were without an accepted method for awarding credit for previously attained certifications. Additionally, many of the programs that served key industry sectors in North Carolina were in need of significant curricular updates and alignment with appropriate industry-recognized credentials. To address these issues, the NCCCS implemented the Code Green Super Curriculum Improvement Process (C313. in 2010, lbeused on reviewing and streamlining programs from five industry sectors-advanced manufacturing, energy, environmental/lire sciences, transportation and building technology--in order to integrate industry skill standards, as validated by appropriate certifications, into curricula.

The Code Green Super CAP resulted in the development and integration of skill standards within the live industry sectors, as well as the alignment of standards to established third-party industry certifications. This has allowed the colleges to award individuals credit for previously attained third-party credentials and to ensure that students completing these courses are prepared to sit for related certification exams.

Statewide Initiatives

Another statewide initiative to better align education and workforce development with the needs ofindustrv is "1.000 in 100" (1,000 companies in 100 days in all 100 North Carolina counties). Teams of workftrce development partners, including the community colleges. workforce investment boards. public schools and others involved in providing workforce services to businesses. will visit a minimum of 10 emplover itt each of North Carolina's 100 counties beginning this month to listen to indust's greatest worklinve needs. Conversations are expected to cover certifications, available training; at the community colleges and strategies to build a pipeline of workers.

A related initiative that will yield insights and set the stage for further industry-recognized certification eflOrts in North Carolina is z1ign4NCWorks, a strategic initiative of the NCCICS and its education, industry and workforce partners to promote collaborative worktbrce development and the scaling up of best practices. The first Workforce Learning Summits were held across the state between February and May 2011, and an-paler 10 summits are planned for this fall. The importance of industry-recognized credentials has already arisen as a theme at the summits.

These initiatives are part of a larger movement in North Carolina that is encouraging educational institutions and government agencies to come together to meet the workfUrce needs of business. Industry-recognized certilicatioli is a common theme throughout the various initiatives and is expected to become an even more important tool in the toolbox as North Carolina's rmrtnership with industry evolves.

Data and Fiscal Challenges

As industry-recognized certifications become increasingly important to CTE and orld wee development programs, states and institutions are working to address the data and reporting challenges ent to these credentials. One challenge is working with data that is held by a third party, i.e., the industry certification body, and that is connected to certifications that may be earned outside of school or after a student has left the educational institution. This hampers the use of certification exam data for instructional improvement and makes reporting student certification attainment difficult. Several projects are working to address this issue. For instance, the Association for Career and Technical Education, in cooperation with a number of national and state partners, is supporting a project to expand and improve data exchange between industry certification organizations and state longitudinal-data systems, based on a successful pilot between Illinois and CompTIA, the IT indust ry association. The project's goal is to develop a national data exchange clearinghouse for states and industry certifiers that will better lbster alignment between education and workforce outcomes.

Another issue is determining the value of certifications. The certification landscape is constantly evolving and is mostly unregulated. Roy Swift of the American National Standards Institute has estimated that fewer than 10 percent of certifications have received third-party accreditation.(3) This makes it difficult to know which certifications will be of value to students. To begin to address this challenge, states and institutions are developing processes for evaluating and validating these and other credentials, as described in the case studies above.

There can be fiscal challenges as well. Education agencies and schools must determine who will pay for certification exams, be it the state, the district or the educational institution (often harnessing public funds or private contributions); students and/or parents; an employer; or some other source or combination of sources. A multitude of funding streams may be harnessed to cover costs and encourage students to take these exams. If no financial help can be offered schools risk students opting out of often-costly exams and therefore failing to earn valued certifications.

Conclusion

States, districts and institutions are taking on the challenges presented by certifications because of the benefits industry-recognized certifications offer to students preparing to be college- and career-ready in high-demand fields and to employers and industry leaders seeking to develop a qualified workforce. Through methods like comprehensive state policies and legislation, relevant incentives and innovative industry partnerships, North Carolina and Florida, as well as other states, are harnessing the power of industry-recognized certifications for the benefit of students and employers.

ENDNOTES

(1.) Kollman, M., & Beck, L. (2013, September). Free CTE college tuition and certification funding: KS SB155 at work. Techniques, 88(6), 38-42,

(2.) Kollman, M., & Beck, L. (2013, September). Free CTE college tuition and certification funding: KS SB155 at work.

(3.) Marte, J. (2013). Job seekers pad resumes with pricey credentials: On the expensive, mostly unregulated world of professional certifications. MarketWatch. Retrieved from www.marketwatch.com/story/job-seekers-padding-resumes-with-pricey-credentials-2013-11-08.

Tara G. Goodman is bureau chief for budget, accountability and assessment in the division of Career and Adult Education of the Florida Dept. of Education. She can be reached at tara.goodman@fldoe.org.

Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., is the associate vice president of STEM Innovations for the North Carolina Community College System. He can be reached at meyerm@nccommunitycolleges.edu.

Catherine Imperatore is ACTE's research manager. She can be reached at cimperatoreoacteonline.org.