Certification Introduction
Professional Certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply "certification" or "qualification", is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Many certifications are used as post-nominal letters indicating an earned privilege from a professional oversight body acting to safeguard the public interest, e.g.: John Smith, CDP (for Career Development Practitioner.)
Accreditation is conferred upon a professional body, by a professional oversight body i.e: a third party organization best positioned to make the judgement that the model or simulation in question is acceptable. The latter may be an operational user, the program office, or a contractor, depending upon the purposes intended.
Therefore, once Career Development becomes a certified profession, in order to work in this field in the province of Ontario, you must demonstrate that you understand and abide by the ethical ground rules, can perform the tasks based on knowledge and skill, meeting the set competencies identified by the professional association, and have become a member of that association.
Since Career Development is not certified at the present time, the exact specifics of certification is not known. However, it is very likely that education, experience and adherence to the Canadian Standards & Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners will form the key. This gives you an opportunity therefore to begin documenting data and proofs of your competencies, as a starting point.
Benefits of Certification
The main benefit of certification of any field is the creation of a structured approach to identifying and developing the knowledge, skills and abilities required of practitioners, together with establishing an ethical base upon which to practice.
Certificate through a professional association, like the Ontario Alliance of Career Development Practitioners, provides practitioners with an opportunity for professional develop and a network of colleagues who can provide support and referrals.
If you are a member, please visit our Resources Area for your Certification Preparation Toolkit and additional resources.