The Path to Industry Certification:
High School Industry Credentialing

To encourage more students to work toward a selected industry credential or state license while pursuing a high school diploma, the Path to Industry Certification: High School Industry Credentialing program was developed. Students who earn a credential by passing a certification or licensure examination may earn up to two student-selected verified credits to meet graduation requirements. In addition to providing the opportunity to earn student-selected verified credits, this initiative provides the following benefits:

Added value to a transcript for higher education purposes or obtaining an entry-level position in the technical job market
Evidence that the student has completed advanced educational preparation and verification of CTE business and industry competencies and workplace readiness skills (WRS)
Increased job opportunities for advancement in a chosen career path
Enhanced self-esteem for students through achieving national occupational competency standards recognized by business and industry

A credential is defined as:

a complete industry certification program, e.g., Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA);
a pathway examination that leads to a completed industry certification, e.g., automotive technician examinations from ASE;
a state-issued professional license, e.g., Cosmetology;
an occupational competency examination, e.g., skill assessments from the National Occupational Competency Institute (NOCTI)

To meet board criteria as a student-selected verified credit, the course must be one that is:

Taught by an educator with an industry certification or licensure from
Designed to prepare students for an occupation or occupational area
Knowledge-based; however, the credential may contain a performance-based component
In a CTE field that confers a credential from a recognized industry, trade or professional association or entity
Administered on a multi-state or international basis
Standardized and graded independent of the school in which the test is given

Board of Education-approved exams & assessments

The board periodically reviews and approves industry, professional or trade association certification examinations and occupational competency assessments that will meet the student-selected verified credit requirements as well as to earn the board’s Career and Technical Education seal and Advanced Mathematics and Technology seal.

In addition to providing student-selected verified credit(s) and adding value to a student's résumé for obtaining entry-level positions in today's technical job market, credentials provide the following benefits to students:

evidence that the student has completed advanced educational preparation by verifying competency in career and technical education skill areas in demand by business and industry;
increased job opportunities for advancement in a chosen career path; and
enhanced self-esteem for students through achieving national occupational competency standards recognized by business and industry

Virginia’s Credentialing Initiative Brochure (PDF) – This brochure provides basic information about the industry certifications, licensures, and other credentials recognized in Virginia and available to CTE students. (revised Dec. 2011)

Data

When the Virginia Department of Education began identifying industry credentials in 2002, only a small percent of Virginia students were enrolled in courses with the potential for achieving an industry credential. In 2010, all career and technical education course(s) offer training for one or more industry credentials.

Statewide Summary of Virginia Board of Education Approved Workplace Readiness Skills Assessments (WRS)

2009-2010 Academic Year

Examination/Credential	Number of Tests Administered to Students	Number of Tests Passed	Number of Tests Not Passed	Percentage Passing
WRS Assessment – with Microsoft Digital Literacy Certification Examination (Exam No. 9256)	224	161	63	72%
Virginia Workplace Readiness Assessment and IC³ Certification Examination (Exam No. 9184)	698	288	410	41%

NOTE: The WRS assessment currently approved by the Virginia Board of Education addresses 13 competencies and must be administered in conjunction with one of two other tests, an Internet & Computing Core Certification (IC³) assessment or a Digital Literacy Certification Test. The WRS and one of these two tests must be administered together to meet the Board approval requirement. These two test combinations are among 200 Board approved industry credentialing tests (credentials, licensures, and AP exams). The data shown here represent only those tests administered under these conditions. WRS assessments administered as stand-alone tests or in combination with tests other than the IC³ and Digital Literacy Certification test are not included in these data.

The Virginia Department of Education, on behalf of the Board, is currently in the process of reviewing the current WRS assessment approved for verified credit. The Board is expected to act on the revised WRS in early 2011. If approved, the revised WRS will become effective for the entire 2010-2011 academic year. The new WRS would be based on 21 competencies instead of 13 and would no longer have the IC3 or the Digital Literacy Certification Test component attached to it, which means that the WRS would be recognized as a stand-alone test.

If approved by the Board of Education in early 2011, the revised WRS standalone examinations will be available as an option for school divisions in April 2011, and will be administered online for Virginia by the Career and Technical Education Consortium of the States (CTECS). The revised WRS is expected to cost $9.00 per test to administer.

You may also be interested in the College & Career Readiness Initiative