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Certification is the process by which an
association or industry group grants recognition of
competence to an individual who has met predetermined work
qualifications or performance standards specified by the
association or industry group. These performance standards
are often referred to as skill standards. Skill
standards are performance specifications that
identify the knowledge and competencies an individual
needs to succeed in the workplace, and they serve as the
basis for assessment and certification. Often synonymously used with certification, credentialing is the process by which an accredited institution such as a community college grants recognition of program completion and technical competence. The official document that serves as evidence of both the certification and the credentialing process is referred to as a credential. The TSSB encourages postsecondary and other education and training providers to utilize assessment and certification systems recognized by industry. For more information, please refer to the Guidelines for the Certification and Credentialing of Skill Attainment (Jan. 2001), pp. 3-4. The certifications listed on this site are organized into the fifteen industry clusters endorsed by the Texas Skill Standards Board for the purposes of organizing skill standards and other occupational resources. This is just a subset of the many certifications and certifying entities that exist. It is not a TSSB endorsement. These certifications are noted here because the certifying entities are industry based rather than product or brand specific, and because the certifications also appear to meet TSSB intent for our target audience: sub-baccalaureate, unlicensed occupations that have growth potential in terms of wages and employment numbers. A candidate should do a thorough investigation of the requirements of certification – and of the certifying entity – prior to investing in and pursuing any certification, whether it is listed here or found elsewhere.
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