(ANSI: New York) -- A limited number of seats are still available for the American National Standards Institute’s first-ever workshop on accreditation of certificate-issuing bodies. The Feb. 11–12 event will introduce the American National Standard ASTM E2659-09, "Standard Practice for Certificate Programs," and the Institute’s Certificate Accreditation Program (ANSI-CAP).

To register for the course, click here.

“In today’s competitive job market, many workers are turning to certificate programs to gain valuable and marketable skills,” says Roy Swift, ANSI senior director for personnel credentialing accreditation programs. “But with so many programs out there, it’s critical to choose certificate programs backed by a nationally recognized and respected standard. This course will provide attendees with insight into how they can increase the quality of their programs to better serve those seeking certificates and those evaluating potential employees.”

The two-day workshop is designed to introduce interested stakeholders to the requirements for developing a quality education/training course that has an assessment at the end to determine if the learning outcomes have been achieved. It will cover such areas as: terminology; significance and use of the standard; requirements for certificate issuers; and certificate program, certificate issuance, and use.

The Institute’s new course will provide participants interested in entering the accreditation process for certificate programs with the ability to begin a self-assessment process that will identify strengths, as well as possible gaps, in meeting the specific requirements. Presentations, small group discussions, and exercises will allow stakeholders to:

• Define terminology and identify documents, best practices, and other resources that can be helpful in building an understanding of ASTM E2659
• Describe the specific requirements of the standard
• Identify what content (including types of documents and data) may be helpful in demonstrating compliance with each requirement and how this content will be reviewed during an accreditation visit
• Describe the ANSI accreditation process based on ISO/IEC 17011—“Conformity assessment—General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies”

The two-day workshop will be held at ANSI’s headquarters in Washington, DC, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any corporations, organizations, government agencies, and others that are issuing certificate-based training or education courses, as well as stakeholders (such as human resources directors) who are accepting individuals with certificates within their organizations, are encouraged to attend. A discount is available for ANSI members.

To register for the course, click here. For more information on this and other ANSI course offerings, visit ANSI’s education and training web site.