In fields like teaching, accounting, and acupuncture, certification is a formal process to make sure that a person is qualified in terms of particular knowledge or skills and also has the relevant experiences. Certification programs are often prepared or overseen by some certifying agency, such as a professional association. In some cases, only members of these associations can access the certification. Other requirements for certifications include academic qualifications, knowledge of a particular trade according to Book of Knowledge (BOK) certification bodies, certain years of documented experience, employee references, and many other prerequisites.
Professional bodies, such as accounting bodies, began to realize the importance of certification given the trend of recruiting graduates to become professionals. Such graduates will not be willing to spend long periods as interns and learn while they study. A quicker way to get established is to get certified in some specialized area, such as management accounting, internal auditing, or forensic accounting. Please see the list below for examples of such certifications.
- Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) by the Institute of Internal Auditors
- Certified Business and Industrial Accountants (CCIA) from the Malaysian Institute of Business and Industrial Accountants
- Certified Internal Control Management Professionals (CiCMP), GRC Sox Group
- Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Certifications can benefit both individuals and the organizations they work for. Benefits to organizations include the ability for staff to be trained to a consistent skill level and have skills that are measured against recognized criteria. Certified people are often more productive and work to consistent standards. Certification can reduce downtime because staff members have the skills to deal with problems as they arise, and certified people make more use of a product’s advanced features and can deploy new products more quickly. ease. Earning certifications can be aligned with performance-related pay, allowing companies to have readily available benchmarks to base such decisions on. Other benefits include lower staff turnover and better customer satisfaction.
On an individual level, certified people are more employable: According to an IDC white paper, “Sixty-three percent of hiring managers believe certified people are more productive than their non-certified counterparts.”[1].” Certified Individuals Could Earn More: An IDC Survey of CCMs Found 43% Earned a Pay Raise After Earning Their Certification[2]. Some certifications make you part of a professional network, for example, Microsoft Certified Professionals belong to a community that only they can access.
Certification issues
Certification confers recognition on the recipient that carries economic value, as certified personnel are in a better position to obtain a service contract or be paid more than someone with similar skills without certification. This places great importance on the quality of the certification itself and the due process that is carried out to ensure that the certified person meets and is in a position to maintain the prescribed standard. Webster[3] suggested that the most fundamental due process is the right to reapply for certification or retake the certification exam. In fact, reexamination virtually eliminates the possibility of recurring clerical or calculation errors. Consequently, most certification bodies require certified members to maintain or improve their skills by undergoing Continuing Professional Development. For example, Certified Internal Auditors from the Malaysian Institute of Internal Auditors (IIAM) need to obtain 80 hours of training every 2 years.[4]. Some professional bodies, such as the Board of Certified Security Professionals, require their Certified Security Professionals to be recertified. [5] every 5 years.
[1] Source: QA website (QA Limited)
[2] Source: QA website (QA Limited)
[3] Document on legal aspects of certification, presented by Hugh K. Webster at the CESB 2000 Certification Symposium held on February 8, 2000 in Alexandria, Virginia.
[4] Source: Malaysian Internal Audit Institute
[5] Source: Board of Certified Security Professionals
