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The Importance of Recertification

The Importance of Recertification

Many people, new to the industry, are being targeted due to their misguided theory that a certification makes them look professional, or more professional - without being so or fail to keep up with it. In point of fact, a paper only is never going to make you look professional or provide professionalism! And the good part of this, in the sense of dedication and quality, is that some certification bodies for persons throughout the world, among them PECB, revoke the credentials given with in cases when a certified person fails to provide evidence of certification maintenance requirements!

That is why it has always been very important for PECB to have goals that help maintain the professionalism and develop the quality of the certification procedures as the certification program was essentially initiated and designed to provide and bring the professionals defined competencies based on best practices, incentives to constantly improve their skills and knowledge, and serve as a tool for employers to ensure that training has been effective.

As the certifications are valid for three years, for or after the period in hand PECB runs a maintenance program through which certified professionals demonstrate every year that they are still performing tasks related to the certification. Certified professionals provide PECB with the number of hours of auditing or implementation related tasks they have.

For recertification, certified professionals demonstrate every three years that they have gained the equivalent of three years of annual requirements. But to maintain their certification or to recertify, PECB professionals don't need to have requirements filled every year. Of course it is possible for them to maintain their certification without having done certification-related professional activities for one or two years, but they will need to have performed the equivalent of three years of professional activities after three years.

As an example, a professional has performed 20 hours of certification-related professional activities in year 1, 3 hours of certification-related professional activities in year 2, and 35 hours of certification-related professional activities in year 3. Although during year 2 the professional did not perform enough certification-related professional activities, his/her tri-annual total is equal to the minimal tri-annual requirements. So this professional would be recertified.

For professionals such as university professors and professional trainers, a requirement for experience can be fulfilled with their work experience on the subject matter.

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PECB certified professionals who fail to provide evidence of certification maintenance requirements have their PECB credentials revoked and no longer be allowed to present themselves as certified PECB professionals.

Earning a certification is a personal and moral responsibility, and recertification is not a renewal only but a manner of learning and improving your professional knowledge every day.

Downgrade of credential

A credential of Lead Implementer, Implementer, Lead Auditor, Auditor and Master is downgraded to ‘provisional’ if the following requirements are not met: - Continuing Professional Development credits not submitted, - Annual maintenance fee not paid, - Breach of PECB’s code of ethics.

The Continual Professional Development form is available to download following this link: http://bit.ly/SWeylx.

Annual maintenance is waived for all PECB certified professionals until 31.12.2015.

For further explanation please check the following website: http://bit.ly/1jBzYy4 or contact certification@pecb.org.

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