Industry Certification
Excellence in Education is validated in Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education by a process known as certification or accreditation. This process involves the establishment of standards by a recognized certification agency and then a process whereby schools can validate that their educational program meets these standards.
The certification of some programs is supported and sponsored by related industries and is referred to as “industry certification”. Examples: National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certifies Auto service programs; Print Industries of America (PIA) certifies Graphics programs; American Design Drafting Association (ADDA) certifies Drafting programs.
Other certification processes are established and sponsored by related professional organizations and is known as “program certification”. Examples: Society of Human Resource management (SHRM) certifies Business Education programs; Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences certifies Family and Consumer Science Programs; Statewide Area Health Education Centers Network (AHEC) certifies Healthcare Science Technology programs; International Technology Education Association (ITEA) certifies Technology/Pre-Engineering programs.
Another type of certification is “accreditation” by an organization. Example: Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) certifies programs for achieving levels of accreditation.
The obvious goal of all education that is vocational in nature is to teach skills that are current and matched to those needed in the workplace. This creates a win-win situation whereby business and industry has input into the educational process and schools substantially improve their instructional programs. This is one of the best ways to close the reported gap between workplace skills of graduates and demands of employers.
A major characteristic of any profession is the specialized knowledge, skills and abilities essential to the performance of its work. Therefore, when a Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education (T/CE) Program is certified by its related industry it has achieved a coveted benchmark.
The goal of Clayton County Public Schools is to achieve program certification or accreditation that guarantees the instructor’s credentials, as well as the facilities, equipment, and curriculum have been examined by a team of practitioners that verify compliance with rigid industry standards. The leadership team of Clayton County Public Schools is committed to the pursuit of this goal. The process of achieving program certification or accreditation must be done in conjunction with guidelines issued by the Georgia Department of Education, available grants, adopted timelines, and the budgetary process.
Benefits of Industry Certification
· Competency based instruction
· Standardized training that is transportable throughout the country
· Special funding in the form of State equipment grants
· Industry support in the form of donated materials and supplies
· Partnerships with business and industry leading to work-based learning
opportunities and possible future employment
Industry Certified Programs
Business, Accounting, Programming & Web Design Mundy’s Mill High
Business, Accounting & Web Design Lovejoy High
Business & Programming Forest Park High
Business & Programming North Clayton High
Business & Financial Services Charles Drew
Business Riverdale High
Business Morrow High
Business Mount Zion High
Business Jonesboro High
Marketing Mundy’s Mill High
Marketing Forest Park High
Marketing Morrow High
Audio/Video Technology and Film Mount Zion High
Health Informatics/Medical Office Mount Zion High
Automobile Maintenance & Light Repair Riverdale High
Culinary Arts Charles Drew High
Engineering & Technology Jonesboro High
For more information contact the program area specialist at the Georgia Department of Education to obtain The Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education Industry Certification Handbook.