A new Workcred Expert Series video episode focuses on the significance of competency-based certifications for industry and professionals alike.
Expert Series guest Michael Byrnes, executive director of certification operations at the American Society for Quality (ASQ), talks with Dr. Roy Swift, executive director of Workcred, about how ASQ helps professionals validate their skills and advance their careers with quality certifications across various sectors, from healthcare to food safety.
Byrnes emphasized that ASQ helps support quality engineering through a credentialing track that covers quality engineers. “Think of those guys that are working on aircraft parts, working on incubators in ICUs for children—it’s pretty critical to have reliability,” said Byrnes. He added that ASQ issues digital credentials through its third-party providers with blockchain encryption and security that anybody can scan, which verifies the authentic nature of that credential.
“Certifications themselves are designed to enhance the person's credibility and help them on a career path to greater employment and salary opportunities,” said Byrnes. “I think the other thing that's not lost in this is the impact on the product that they're working on. In the case of [a] quality mechanic, just think of the automotive industry—the parts, the installation, the quality of the service, and the trust that the public has in those certified individuals. You begin to connect the dots to how important it is to have quality.”
“A certification, unlike a lot of other types of credentials, is competency-based,” said Swift. “When you identify a competency—a task statement that somebody can do—then it's much easier to measure.”
Watch the KnetStream Networks video episode: “Workcred Expert Series: Quality Matters.”
Access additional Workcred Expert Series broadcasts that detail the latest workforce and credentialing matters. Episodes highlight certifications for careers in project management, and leveraging credentials for cleaner energy, medical laboratories, construction, supply chain management, IT, and more, with expert insights and research findings from Workcred staff and special guests.