Build and Retain a Highly-Trained Technical Workforce with Credentialing Programs

With careers in engineering and technology evolving so rapidly, a commitment to upskilling is imperative to employee growth and the ability to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Maintaining the appropriate credentials— such as a certificate or digital badge that attests to successful completion of a specific set of learning objectives – can further differentiate you and your company from those who don’t hold the same qualifications.

According to Careertech, “credentials provide proof of knowledge, verify a student’s capability to perform a particular trade, skill, or occupation, and give students incentive for further achievement.” As such, credentialing programs are key tools that both validate learning and motivate learners.

Not only do individuals benefit from capitalizing on credentials that they can “stack,” but so do companies. Here are some key benefits that companies and employees reap from credentialing.

Lower Turnover

Opportunities for continuing education and credentialing have long been strongly linked to employee job satisfaction. Many companies, including Microsoft, have found that offering training and credentialing opportunities help motivate and retain employees by ensuring that employees feel seen, heard, and valued. Ultimately, these programs encourage promotion from within. They also help reduce turnover and costly recruiting expenses for organizations.

Empowered Leadership

According to a study by the Center for Association Leadership, members with a variety of credentials were more compliant with standard industry practices, more engaged in industry-related initiatives, and more likely to take on leadership roles than their non-credentialed counterparts.

Greater Ability to Attract Talent

Research done by Lorman Education found that nearly 60% of the 72.2 million-strong millennial demographic— the largest workforce generation in the U.S.— identify “development opportunities” as extremely important when deciding whether to apply for a position. As a result, a company’s ability to offer high-quality training and the corresponding credentials that demonstrate skill mastery can make it a more attractive employer to qualified candidates.

Enhanced Productivity

Digital credentials can help boost workforce productivity, a benefit that both companies and their employees will enjoy. Within the IT sector, for instance, a joint study conducted by Microsoft and the International Data Corporation (IDC) found that credentialed technical professionals were nearly 90% more productive than their non-credentialed counterparts— a benefit which skills trainer Global Knowledge said often translated to companies in the form of enhanced efficiency and skills-driven return on investment. At the same time, the Microsoft/IDC survey also found that technical professionals who had undergone additional training were more likely to be promoted based on management confidence in their skills and maturity— a clear benefit for professionals as well.

Higher Salaries

Employees with additional credentials can reap financial rewards from their extra effort. According to Ryan Miller, Director of Client Success at career consulting company Employment BOOST, the addition of relevant credentials to a resume can potentially lead to salary increases of anywhere from 5%-20% depending on the industry and credential.

Improved Job Security

Simply put, the acquisition of skill-based credentials helps professionals keep up with and stay ahead of an ever-evolving workforce. For companies and professionals in today’s rapidly-changing technical landscape, confirmed Danny King, CEO and Co-Founder of Accredible, “digital credentialing can now be an invaluable tool for the corporate world and educational system to reskill, upskill, and facilitate career change—it’s a crucial tool for success.”

The message is clear: credentialing programs help empower employees and strengthen companies.

Among their many benefits to companies, credentialing programs elevate employee skill sets, boost productivity and engagement, and reduce employee turnover and recruiting costs. At the same time, job training programs and continued education can help employees develop individual skills, increase their marketability, and advance their careers. They also foster an employee’s sense of achievement while promoting greater leadership in and ownership of their roles.

The IEEE Credentialing Program: A Top Source of Continuing Education Credits 

Technical training programs give employees opportunities to enhance their career skills and demonstrate to current and potential employers a willingness to learn new skills. And for many engineers, completion of a certain number of professional development hours (PDHs) and continuing education units (CEUs) each year is also required in order to maintain their professional engineering license.

One way for companies to strengthen and elevate their in-house technical training is through alignment with the IEEE Credentialing Program. As the world’s largest technical professional home, IEEE represents the best and brightest minds in engineering today and offers credentialing in the relevant content that engineers need to stay ahead. In addition to supporting engineering professionals in achieving their career goals, the certificates and digital badges available through the IEEE Credentialing Program help companies enhance the credibility of their training events, conferences, and courses in an effort to increase employee attendance and engagement.

While professional development hours (PDHs) and continuing education units (CEUs) are often required in North America, other countries often accept IEEE certificates towards their own domestic requirements.

Overall, an IEEE credential is an assurance of quality education for employers and a source of pride for learners since they can share that their credentials have been verified by the world’s largest technical professional organization. By aligning with the IEEE Credentialing Program, you can easily add PDHs and CEUs to your continuing professional education offerings. Learn more about the IEEE Credentialing Program and discover how you and your company can benefit.

Resources

(26 March 2015). Why is Credentialing Important? Advance CTE.

Day, Ryan. (5 October 2017). 5 Reasons Why Certifications Are Helping Your Career (And Your Company’s Bottom Line). Skillsoft Global Knowledge.

Engholm, Ginny. (14 February 2022). How Certifications Can Help Grow Your Career. HRCI Learning Center.

(24 August 2016). Credentialing’s Two-Way Benefits. The Center for Association Leadership.

(24 October 2017). What Are Micro-Credentials and How Can They Benefit Both Business and Employees? DeakinCo.

(1 September 2021). 39 Statistics That Prove the Value of Employee Training. Lorman Education Services.

Duplin, Sophia. 10 Tips to Offer Continuing Education Credits to Your Workforce. BeaconLive.

Perna, Mark C. (25 July 2022). Workforce Credentials Are Going Digital. Here’s Why This Helps Everyone. Forbes.

Pino, Ivana. (24 May 2023). Experts Say That Earning Relevant Certifications Can Boost Your Salary by as Much as 20%. Here’s How You Can Boost Your Own Pay. Fortune.