The Concept of Professional Certification - Custom Research Paper

Professional Certification

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the topic of professional certification. The first paragraph of this paper will mention the fact that the concept of professional certification is not a new concept, but has been around for more than a half of century. Furthermore, it will show that the debate concerning the benefits of certifying individuals, within a given profession, has been discussed and debated for at least as long. The second section of the paper will be devoted to the meaning of the concept of professional certification. The second section will also present an overview of what is involved in becoming certified. The third portion of this paper will present examples of several fields and/or organizations which make use of the concept of professional certification. Examples from of professions which make use of certification include the fields of corrections, music education, information technology, GIS (geographic information systems), and the profession of S,H, & E (safety, health, and environmental). This third section of the paper will also mention that the US military also make use of the concept of professional certification. Finally, the fourth section will briefly mention the fact that some fields actively debate the issue of professional certification.

The concept of professional certification has been around for a very long time. Indeed, a psychologist by the name of Douglas Fryer (1941) wrote an article on this topic that was published in the Journal of Consulting Psychology in the spring of 1941. Even at this time, the issue of professional certification was a matter of debate. To be more specific, Fryer discusses the fact that many of his colleagues were divided as to whether such certification should be a matter of legal concern or whether it should be overseen by some professional organization recognized by the field of psychology (Fryer, 1941).

In general, the concept of certification relates to individuals within a particular field whereas the concept accreditation relates to the institutions associated with the same particular field. To be more specific, the concept of certification is typically given to an individual, within a given occupation, in acknowledgment of their abilities, knowledge, and skill level which they have demonstrated within their profession (Kemp, 2003, p. 160). Some of the criteria which experts, within the field, may wish to contemplate when considering whether or not the field should be considered as a profession include whether the field possesses a specific unique set of knowledge, a needed level of expertise, a shared language, a professional culture, and a code of ethics (Kemp, 2003, p. 160) Furthermore, typically there exists some professional board, within the field, which decides the levels of abilities, knowledge, and skills which are appropriate for the professionals to become certified as well as to bestow the honor of certification onto given individuals within the occupation (Kemp, 2003, p. 160).

There may be a wide variety of ways in which the appropriate professional organization uses to determine whether or not a given individual, within the profession, possesses the levels of abilities, knowledge, and skills necessary to become certified. One of these ways concerns the amount of time that a candidate, applying for certification, routinely spends within the profession. For example, the process of becoming certified as a music educator examines (among other things) whether the candidate is currently a full-time or part-time faculty member at an accredited college or university (Albergo, 2008, p. 62). Additionally some professional certification boards divide the abilities, knowledge, and skills needed to become certified within the occupation into a set of categories. For example, the professional organization which certifies national music educators divides is criteria into the standards of professional preparation, professional teaching practices, professional business management, professionalism and partnerships, and professional and personal renewal (Albergo, 2008, 62). Similarly, the exam which record managers must pass it or to become certified is divided into six parts which consist of management principles and the records and information management program; records creation and use; record systems; storage and retrieval, records appraisal, retention, protection, and disposition; facilities, supplies, and technology; and case studies (Phillips, 2004, p. 65).

The considerations listed within the previous paragraph, can often cause controversy to arise within a given profession concerning the certification process. This paper has already discussed the 1941 controversy as to whether psychologists should become certified by some governmental board or whether this question should be an issue which is dealt with by some professional board.

There are several considerations which a particular field or occupation must address when examining whether or not that particular field or occupation should adopt the concept of professional certification. First, to incorporate a professional certification process into a given field, experts within the same given field may need to consider whether or not the particular occupation can be considered as a profession (Kemp, 2003, p. 160). Second, the field or occupation needs to address if there exists a qualified organization within the profession which is capable of answering the question as to what the criteria for certification should be and to carry out a program which provides certification to those individuals who meet the aforementioned criteria.

There are several benefits associated with the concept of professional certification. The consumers of those services connected with a particular profession are likely to receive exceptional service if they elect to make use of a professional who has been certified by some professional organization. In turn, this implies that those professionals who have been certified, with regards to some occupation, may have a greater demand for their services. Indeed, several individuals have pointed out the fact that certification may make a professional more marketable and more employable within their choice of career. For example, the article by Venator (2006) discusses how employers are more likely to be interested in hiring a particular individual for an IT (information technology) position if they have been certified in one or more technologies related to that position. Furthermore, certified individuals are more likely to receive pay increases as the result of their documented abilities, knowledge, and skills that they bring to their particular profession (and hence to their employer). For example, the article by Venator (2006, p. 28) mentions how those information technology professionals who had been certified enjoyed an average pay increase of 16.4% between the years of 2004 and 2005. This may be an important reason as to why the number of jobs within the field of information technology increased the 12 8000 jobs between these same two years (Venator, 2006, p. 29).

Indeed, some certified professionals may actively attempt to impose the process of certification onto other individuals within this field. For example, the music instructor by the name of Samuel Holland requires his students to become certified within the organization for the national certified teachers of music (NCTM). Indeed, the article by Hadfield (2004, p. 54) quotes him as saying "... I have requires my students to join... it is a basic professional association, and it carries a multitude of benefits".

While as, discussed within the previous paragraph, there exists several benefits for a profession to adopt the concept of professional certification, there are also reasons why a profession may choose not to incorporate such a program. For example, consider the GIS field. Kemp (2003, p. 161) has listed some of the reasons why some of the individuals, within this particular field, may be against having the field adopt such a certification program. To be more specific, these reasons include that the profession is not clearly defined, that there does not exist a clear understanding of which set of skills and knowledge is needed by the practitioners of the occupation, that the control of the profession may be given to a single organization, that this may limit the growth of this particular field, that qualified individuals may become excluded from practicing this occupation, and it may reduce academic freedom (Kemp, 2003, p. 161).

There are several occupations for which individuals, working within that field, may become certified within that field. Among the many fields which recognize the concept of professional certification are the professions of music education, corrections, information technology, records management, GIS (geographic information systems), and S, H, & E (safety, health, & environmental). The common theme to each of these fields and professions is that they offer a service for which customers and/or employers place a premium value upon and for which the quality of the service is important.

It is interesting to make note of the fact that the military also make use of the concept of professional certification. Indeed, an article by Grande (2008, p. 22) discusses a disciplinary barracks which produces more certified individuals, within the field of corrections, than any other segment of the military. By becoming certified within the corrections profession, such individuals may obtain a job within the correction profession after their military career is over. Therefore, once again this example illustrates the benefits of professional certification. In particular, as with the field of information technology, individuals may become more employable and marketable as the result of becoming certified.

The concept of professional certification is an integral part of many occupations and professions. As mentioned earlier within this paper, it provides benefits to both those individuals who are certified as well as those customers and employers who make use of the services of individuals certified within a particular profession. With regards to those customers and employers who make use of the services of those individuals who are certified in a particular profession or occupation, they can be more assured they will likely receive a higher quality of work. With regards to those individuals who are certified within a particular profession or occupation, they are more likely to be more marketable and employable as well as more likely to receive pay raises.

References

Albergo, C. (2008 June/July). Professional certification. Academic Music Teacher, 57(6), 62 - 64. Academic Search Premier 32800868.

Fryer, D. (1941 March/April). Introduction: contribution of certification to unified professional status in psychology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 5(2), 49 - 51. psycARTICLES

Grande, P. J. (2008 December). The US disciplinary barracks leads the military in professional certification. 24 - 27. Academic Search Premier 36236992

Kemp, K. K. (2003). Why GIS professional certification matters to all of us. Transactions in GIS. 7(2), 159 - 163. DOI 10 .1111

Phillips, J. T. (2004 November/December). Professional certification. The Information Management Journal, 64 - 67. Academic Search Premier 15014686.

Venator, J. A. (2006 January). IT certification: in the information technology field, professional certification can make an individual even more marketable. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 81(1), 28 - 31. Academic Search Premier 19444325.