Credentialing for Stronger U.S. Workforce is subject of interagency meeting.
Press Release Summary:
On April 11, 21 federal government representatives from 10 different agencies met at ANSI headquarters in Washington, D.C. for third Interagency Best Practices - ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 meeting. Bi-annual meetings enable agency representatives to share insights and consider possible models for creating/implementing credentialing programs, within and outside their agencies, that will foster robust and successful U.S. workforce.
Original Press Release:
ANSI Hosts Federal Interagency Meeting on Credentialing for a Stronger U.S. Workforce
Twenty-one federal government representatives from ten different agencies met at American National Standards Institute (ANSI) headquarters in Washington, D.C., for the third Interagency Best Practices - ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 meeting on April 11. The bi-annual meetings provide an opportunity for agency representatives to share insights and consider possible models for creating and/or implementing credentialing programs, both within and outside their agency, that will foster a more robust and successful U.S. workforce.
ANSI Accreditation Works for Agencies
ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024, General requirements for bodies operating certification schemes for persons, is an American National Standard (ANS) and international standard at the core of ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies.
Numerous government agencies rely upon ANSI accreditation as the most rigorous and comprehensive third-party verification of the competence of personnel certification bodies utilizing ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024.
While the government and private sectors continue to focus on job creation as a critical component of economic recovery, the skills gap has left 3 million jobs vacant in the U.S. today. Concrete, effective solutions are needed to diminish this divide, and quality, standards-based credentialing is one tool that can help better meet the needs of future job-seekers and employers. The bi-annual meetings are intended to assist government agencies, the private sector, and the public in understanding the essential components of certification and to help educate individuals to seek only certifications with market value.
Originally initiated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) representatives a year ago, the ongoing series of meetings has grown to include participation from nearly 50 representatives from 20 different agencies - a level of engagement that can be attributed to increased federal interest in the alignment of credentials to a nationally and internationally recognized standard for quality.
The agencies in attendance at the April 11 meeting and their respective credentialing program areas discussed included:
Department of Defense: cybersecurity
Department of Energy: residential energy reduction and weatherization
Department of Energy: Superior Energy Performance (SEP) program
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Food and Drug Administration: food, drugs, and medical devices
Office of Personnel Management: executive resources and employee development
Internal Revenue Service: tax preparers.
Also in the room were representatives from agencies currently considering developing credentials to meet demonstrated workforce needs. A representative from the Department of Transportation (DOT) shared that DOT is increasingly looking to credentials to help fill the large number of transportation jobs opening up in the near future. Another representative in the forensic laboratory services indicated the importance of quality certifications in their industry. Many of the attendees expressed gratitude for ANSI's ongoing efforts in bringing together key government agency representatives to address this critical issue.
The second bi-annual meeting for 2012 will be held on Wednesday, September 12, in Washington, D.C. This meeting will feature for the first time a vital discussion of how federal agencies are using specific credentialing requirements to ensure veterans are given credit for their military experiences.
For more information, contact Roy Swift, Ph.D., senior director for ANSI's personnel credentialing accreditation programs (rswift@ansi.org; 202.331.3617).
