Professional certifications are a reliable way to validate skills and knowledge, benefiting both professionals and organizations.

A Professional certification is a third-party attestation that an individual (or organization) has demonstrated competence against defined standards-distinct from a license (a legal authorisation) and from accreditation (evaluation of the certifying or assessing body). Globally, person-certification bodies are guided by ISO/IEC 17024, which specifies principles for developing and maintaining a certification scheme, impartiality, and competence requirements for the certifying body. (ISO)

For organizational certifications and management system standards, two adjacent frameworks apply: ISO/IEC 17021-1 for bodies that audit and certify management systems (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 27001), and ISO/IEC 17065 for bodies certifying products, processes, or services. These standards ensure consistency, impartiality, and competence across certification bodies and are underpinned by the International Accreditation Forum’s Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (IAF MLA), which promotes mutual recognition of accredited certificates across borders. (ISO, IAF)

Within Malaysia, HRD Corp’s quality architecture (e.g., HRD-TDF) sets a national baseline for training standards and trainer competence – an important policy lever to ensure funded learning pathways align with workforce needs. (HRD Corp)

Certification is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit. Accreditation is a specific organization’s process of certification

Certification can be seen as a form of communication along the supply chain. The certificate demonstrates to the buyer that the supplier complies with certain standards, which might be more convincing than if the supplier itself provided the assurance. A third party gives written assurance that a product, process or service is in conformity with certain standards; it is critical to establish the right body performing it.

The organization performing the certification is called a certification body or certifier. The certification body would perform actual inspections and the certification decision, i.e. the granting of the written assurance or “certificate”.

For working adults, certifications signal competence and portability across employers. In the United States, where the labour force is closely tracked, 24% of employed workers held a certification or license in 2024; those with credentials are consistently concentrated in higher-skill occupations, and historical series indicate earnings and employability benefits relative to non-credentialed peers. While country effects vary, these data points illustrate the economic logic behind credible certification. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

For employers, certifications reduce hiring risk, accelerate time-to-competence, and support compliance in safety-critical or regulated roles. When certifications are outcome-based and externally validated (e.g., by NCCA-accredited programs or ISO-aligned schemes), they also support international mobility and vendor assurance in cross-border value chains. (Credentialing Excellence)

For policymakers, certifications are a scalable lever for workforce transition. The World Economic Forum projects large-scale skill disruption through 2027, with reskilling and credentialing among top corporate responses—underlining the need to standardize and signal skills at speed. (World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum)

It is critical that professional certifications validate expertise in a specific field, role, or technology. In order to demonstrate proficiency, candidates are required to pass exams or complete programs to prove their knowledge and skills to employers.

In order to obtain industry recognition, it is paramount to earn a certification to demonstrate to employers and clients that you have a recognized level of competence in your profession. On career advancement, it has been inevitable that certifications can provide a competitive edge, open doors to new opportunities, and meet requirements for certain roles.

Certification as a complement to education

Professional certification is not a replacement for accredited degree work but instead is supposed to complement your education or professional experience in your field. Once you’ve earned a certification, you are given a designation that you can use after your name as a way to distinguish certified professionals from their uncertified peers. To keep your certification, the administering organization will ask for proof that you’ve obtained the required continuing education periodically (typically one to five years, depending on the certification) before you are allowed to renew your certification.

i. Individual Certifications

Purpose

Validates an individual’s knowledge, skills, and adherence to specific standards within a particular field. It serves as a credential that demonstrates competence in that field.

A certification essentially consists of three (3) Es’ i.e. specific work experience, education and examination to assess the level of competency. To determine specific certification programs, the work experience required should be at a professional level, rather than merely the number of years of work experience.

Benefits

ii. Organizational Certifications:

Purpose

Validates an organization’s adherence to specific standards within a particular field. It serves as a credential that demonstrates competence in that field.

Benefits

Certification Landscape: Three types of Professional Certifications, One Goal.

These certifications validate skills and knowledge and are often required for certain jobs or to enhance career advancement.

Building on the Braintrust content, certifications cluster into three archetypes:

• i. Corporate/internal,
• ii. Product-specific,
• iii.Profession/industry-wide.

Focus on Standard-Based Assessment

Focuses on assessing and validating an individual’s skills and knowledge against specific, predetermined standards rather than simply evaluating time spent in training or traditional academic measures.

Emphasis on Practical Mastery

This approach emphasizes practical application and mastery of competencies, often incorporating real-world scenarios and performance-based assessments.

Principle: Certify what learners can do, not just what they have attended.

Designing a Competency-Based Certification Model

8 Core steps (end-to-end) include:

i. Define the standard: Identify the competencies

Conduct a defensible Job/Practice Analysis to surface domains, tasks, knowledge/skills/behaviours/abilities (KSAs), and performance contexts. NCCA Standard 14 requires job analysis with sound psychometrics (SME panels, validation surveys, representativeness) to ensure content validity. (Credentialing Excellence, dodcertpmo.defense.gov)

ii. Blueprint & outcomes:

Translate the analysis into a test blueprint and observable learning outcomes (LOs). Align cognitive complexity (e.g., recall, application, analysis) with item formats (MCQ, scenario-based, performance tasks). Guidance derives from the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA/APA/NCME). (AERA, The Standards for Testing)

iii. Assessment Design: Develop Assessments

Create assessments that accurately measure an individual’s ability to demonstrate those competencies. Many of these competencies are closely linked to professional-level experience. Develop items and performance assessments following documented item-writing guidelines, content reviews, bias/fairness checks, and pilot testing.

Use a standard setting method (e.g., modified Angoff, Bookmark) to derive a passing score consistent with NCCA Standard 17. (ARRT Volunteer Portal)

iv. Delivery & security

Select delivery modes (test centres, remote proctoring) with identity verification and incident management. Maintain item banks, exposure controls, and continuous data forensics.

v. Preparation Pathway: Role of CPPs

Curate but keep at an arm’s length – Certification Preparation Providers (CPPs). As the Braintrust deck notes, CPPs may offer ≥ 40 hours of preparatory sessions led by certified facilitators who are also the subject matter experts (SMEs). They are also required to be certified themselves in addition to being certified as HRD Corp Accredited Trainers.

Most preparatory sessions for functional programs such as IT, HR, Tech or Finance, the prep sessions should involve sharing of professional-level experiences in relation to the content of the programs.

vi. Assessment of Competencies via Exams

Evaluate the individual’s performance against the established standards via exam and practice exams on the learning platform. However, the respective certification bodies must retain independent exam control to avoid conflicts of interest. This can be done by partnering with independent companies administering computer-based exams for professionals, licensing and academic admissions. They provide secure

testing services through a worldwide network of physical test centres and online proctoring.

vii. Granting of Certification: Governance & Quality Assurance

Establish an independent certification committee; enforce conflict-of-interest policies; run annual technical reports (reliability, item stats, form equivalence). A minimum passing score of 70% is required for the successful granting of certification.

Recertification/CPD:

Require periodic renewal (e.g., every 3 to 5 years for individual certification and 3 to 5 years for certain organizational certifications such as ISO) via credits or re-examination to ensure currency with up-to-date practices, continued competence and alignment with evolving industry standards.

Benefits of Adhering to a Competency Framework

Quality anchors are commonly referred to as accredited certifications and recognition schemes that verify the technical competency and reliability of products, processes, or services, ensuring they meet high standards of quality and performance.

Accreditation

An accreditation is a review process to determine if an educational or training programs meet the defined standards of quality. Once achieved, an accreditation is not deemed permanent; it is renewed periodically to ensure that the quality of the educational or training program is maintained.

It is a formal and independent verification that endorses that a program or institution meets established quality standards and is competent to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks. Conformity assessment tasks may include, but are not limited to, testing, inspection, or certification.

Accreditation has been used for over 50 years as the definitive means of evaluating organizations and is now utilized by all the world’s major economies and many developing economies.

To ensure global credibility, the following are key factors:

i. People certifications should be operated by bodies conforming to ISO/IEC 17024 (person certification). (ISO)

ISO/IEC 17024 is an international standard that outlines the general requirements for bodies that operate personnel certification programs. It sets the criteria for organizations that certify individuals against specific requirements, ensuring their operations are fair, impartial, credible and globally recognised. It thereby enhances confidence for employers and the public in the competence of certified individuals.

In Malaysia, CIDB Malaysia has achieved ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation and operates certification programs based on the standard for various technical certifications

Globally, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) partnered with the International Service (IAS) to offer members of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an autonomous body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), to evaluate professional certification programs against rigorous standards. Certification bodies are accredited to ensure that they adhere to this internationally accepted standard, ensuring that assessment processes are fair, repeatable, and defensible.

National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an autonomous body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), evaluates professional certification programs against rigorous standards to ensure professional competence.

The NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs were the first standards developed by the credentialing industry for professional

certification programs. NCCA was founded as a commission whose mission is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs that assess professional competence.

NCCA Process

• NCCA uses a peer review process to establish accreditation standards.
• Evaluate compliance with these standards.
• Recognize organization or programs which demonstrate compliance.
• Serve as a resource on quality certification.

NCCA accreditation signifies that a certification program has met the NCCA’s stringent, industry-recognized standards. It assures the public and the profession that the program has a valid and reliable process for development, implementation, and maintenance.

The NCCA standards are consistent with The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999) and are applicable to all professions and industries. Accreditation for professional or personnel certification programs provides impartial, third-party validation that your program has met recognized national and international credentialing industry standards for development, implementation, and maintenance of certification programs.

To date, NCCA has accredited more than 315 programs from more than 130 organizations.

ii. Management system certifications (organizational) should align with ISO/IEC 17021(ISO)

ISO/IEC 17021 is a standard for bodies that audit and certify management systems, such as ISO 9001 (quality) or ISO 14001 (environmental). It is a

widely recognised framework for assessing the competence of certification bodies offering management systems certification.

The current version is ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, which sets requirements to ensure certification bodies are competent, consistent, and impartial in their processes. This standard helps build trust and acceptance of management system certifications internationally by ensuring a high level of quality and integrity from certification bodies.

The standard is applicable to the audit and certification of any type of management system, not just quality or environmental systems.

Part 1 (ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015): This is the primary part of the standard, containing the generic requirements for all management system certification.

In terms of benefits, adherence to ISO/IEC 17021 builds confidence among stakeholders, enhances the credibility of certified management systems, and facilitates the international recognition and acceptance of certifications.

iii. Product /service schemes with ISO/IEC 17065. (ISO)

ISO/IEC 17065 is an international standard that outlines the requirements for organizations that certify products, processes, and services. It establishes criteria for certification bodies to operate competently, consistently, and impartially, which is essential for building trust and confidence in their certification activities among clients, regulators, and the public.

The standard is a key part of conformity assessment, ensuring that products, processes, and services meet specified requirements.

As far as Third-Party Certification, it sets the requirements for independent organizations (certification bodies) that provide a third-party declaration of conformity, assuring stakeholders that the certified entity meets certain standards

In terms of benefits, it provides an internationally recognized benchmark for certification bodies, enhancing their reputation and fostering trust among stakeholders. Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17065 signifies a commitment to globally recognized best practices, facilitating mutual recognition and reducing barriers to trade. It is also inevitable that complying with the standard encourages enhanced efficiency, effectiveness, and improved management systems within accredited organizations.

Accreditation bodies should be globally recognised so certificates are accepted across borders, reducing duplicate assessments and boosting employer trust.

In practice, there are other accreditation bodies such as ANAB, A2LA, IAS, JAS-ANZ, UKAS, and others that operate these programs regionally, but it may not be recognised in all countries within a specific region. (ANAB, A2LA, IAS Online, JASANZ)

Integrating RPEL/APEL to Widen Access

APEL stands for Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, a Malaysian system under the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) that offers an alternative pathway to higher education by recognizing an individual’s existing knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained through experience.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is a systematic process that involves the identification, documentation and evaluation of learning based on prior experience. APEL allows people to gain admission to academic programs via APEL.A or to receive credit for courses via APEL.C without possessing the required traditional academic qualifications, fostering lifelong learning and career development. APEL pathways also include APEL.M for micro-credentials and APEL.Q for qualifications. These processes provide a structured mechanism to map experiential evidence to standards while protecting assessment integrity.

Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL)

RPEL stands for Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning, a process and program where an individual’s practical, work-based, or life experience is assessed and recognized as equivalent to formal academic learning, potentially for gaining academic credit or skills certification. It allows individuals to demonstrate their existing knowledge and competencies, often through a portfolio or reflective account, to gain entry to a program, receive academic credit, or be certified in a specific skill without necessarily having followed a traditional educational path.

High-quality certification systems should recognize prior learning to expand opportunity without diluting standards. Malaysia’s RPEL (under HRD Corp) and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency’s APEL pathways can be referred by Certification bodies when defining eligibility, equivalency, and alternative routes to the exam. (HRD Corp, MQA)

Digital credentials are digital certificates or documents that are given by a party to prove someone’s qualification, claim, or achievement. Digital credentials are often a digital version of what we normally get as physical documents, such as an association membership certificate, passport, NRIC, driver’s license, and university degree.

Digital credentials are simple to provide, manage, and verify. Some credentials may contain personal information such as someone’s birthplace, name, birth date, or biometric information like a fingerprint.

Key elements of digital credentials include the following:

• Secure and tamper-proof: Digital credentials use cryptographic technology, such as blockchain, to prevent forgery and ensure the data has not been altered since it was issued.
• Instantly verifiable: Anyone can authenticate the credential’s legitimacy in real-time by clicking a secure link or scanning a QR code, eliminating the need to contact the issuing organization.
• Portable and shareable: The credential holder can easily store their credentials in a digital wallet and share them with employers, schools, or professional networks via email, social media (like LinkedIn), or their own website.
• Data-rich: Embedded metadata provides detailed information about the achievement, including the issuer, date of issuance, and the criteria and competencies required to earn it.
• Privacy-preserving: Many digital credentials allow for “selective disclosure,” meaning the holder can choose to share only the specific information needed, such as confirming they are over 21 years of age without revealing their birthdate.

Digital Certificates

A digital certificate is a type of electronic credential that can prove the authenticity of a person, device, server, or website. In learning programs, compared to digital badges, digital certificates are awarded as digital credentials for achievements that take longer, like a university degree or a two-year certification program.

Anything that can be issued as a physical certificate can be done as a digital certificate, including:

• Trade certifications
• University and college degrees
• Food safety training certification
• Health and safety training certification

Digital certificate authentication helps organizations ensure that only trusted devices and users can connect to their networks. Another common use of digital certificates is to confirm the authenticity of a website to a web browser, which is also known as a Secure Sockets Layer or SSL certificate.

A digital certificate contains identifiable information, such as a user’s name, company, or department and a device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address or serial number. Digital certificates contain a copy of a public key from the certificate holder, which needs to be matched to a corresponding private key to verify it is real. A public key certificate is issued by certificate authorities (CAs), which sign certificates to verify the identity of the requesting device or user.

Benefits of digital certification

Digital certificates can be requested by individuals, organizations, and websites. To do so, they provide the information to be validated and a public key through a certificate signing request. The information is validated by a publicly trusted CA, which signs it with a key that provides a chain of trust to the certificate.

This enables the certificate to be used to prove the authenticity of a document, for client authentication, or to provide proof of a website’s credentials.

Different types of Digital Certification

There are three different types of public key certificates: a Transport Layer Security (TLS)/SSL certificate, a code signing certificate, and a client certificate.

1. TLS/SSL certificate

A TLS/SSL certificate sits on a server – such as an application, mail, or web server- to ensure communication with its clients is private and encrypted. The certificate provides authentication for the server to send and receive encrypted messages to clients.

The existence of a TLS/SSL certificate is signified by the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) designation at the start of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or web address. It comes in three forms:

i. Domain-validated

A domain-validated certificate is a quick validation method that is acceptable for any website. It is cheap to obtain and can be issued in a matter of minutes.

ii. Organization validated

This provides light business authentication and is ideal for organizations selling products online through e-commerce.

iii. Extended validation

This offers full business authentication, which is required by larger organizations or any business dealing with highly sensitive information. It is typically used by businesses in the financial industry and offers the highest level of authentication, security, and trust.

2. Code signing certificate

A code signing certificate is used to confirm the authenticity of software or files downloaded from the internet. The developer or publisher signs the software to confirm that it is genuine to users who download it. This is useful for software providers that make their programs available on third-party sites to prove that files have not been tampered with.

3. Client certificate

A client certificate is a digital ID that identifies an individual user to another user or machine, or one machine to another. A common example of this is email, where a sender signs a communication digitally and its signature is verified by the recipient. Client certificates can also be used to help users access protected databases.

Digital Badges

The purpose of digital badges is to recognize skills gained in less formal settings outside of traditional education systems. Digital badges are usually used for credentials that take a short time to learn, like completing a project or a workshop. Digital badges look like a physical medal and are issued by a variety of organizations, including training providers, non-profits, companies, and colleges. They can represent simple participation in a workshop to competency-based learning.

Digital badges can be verifiable digital credentials that contain:

• The identity of the issuer
• Name of Recipient
• Criteria of the Award
• Date of Issue
• Evidence of learning

Key aspects of digital badges include shapes, colors, and symbols that can be utilised to identify levels of achievement. Badges can be designed so they can be easily embedded and shared across a variety of platforms like social media, email signature, online portfolio, and resume.

A Digital badge can be awarded for:

• completing an online learning course
• participating in a specific learning event
• verifying specific levels of commitment, like a blood drive badge
• possessing mastery of a specific skill like JavaScript

Digital Badging Platform

A digital badging platform is software used to issue, send and manage digital badges online. It allows organizations to award badges to learners or employees to recognize skills and achievements.

Top platforms connect directly to your existing tools, like learning management systems or customer success software.

With a reliable digital credential platform, you save time and give your badge recipients a smooth process from start to finish.

Successful digital badging platforms/programs

• Credly is a well-known digital credentialing platform used by businesses, universities and certification providers. It focuses on issuing and managing digital badges but leans heavily into building a credential network rather than offering in-depth badge customization.
• IBM runs a digital badging program, now in its seventh year, that has awarded 3.7 million credentials to date.
• Certifier is a digital a reputable for creating and managing badges online without extra hassle. Known for automation and branding
• Accredible is primarily for businesses, universities and certification providers. It helps organizations issue, track and verify badges and certificates
• BadgeCert is widely used by organizations requiring a secure way to issue and verify digital badges
• Certif-ID focuses on verifiable badges and certificates. It combines blockchain technology with talent solutions, making it a mix of a badge issuer and a recruitment tool

Micro Credential

A micro-credential is a certification of skills and competencies acquired through a short, focused course or training program. Unlike a traditional degree that takes years, a micro-credential can be completed in a much shorter period, often just weeks or months, and targets specific, in-demand skills. Upon completion, learners typically receive a digital certificate or badge that can be verified by employers and other institutions.

Micro-credentials confirm when someone achieves the learning outcomes of a short course, webinar, or module. Micro-certificates can be added to someone’s record throughout their professional career. People can present micro-certificates during job interviews or use them for professional development within an organization.

Key Information about micro-credentials includes the following:

• Targeted and specific: Micro-credentials focus on a narrow area of knowledge or a particular skill set, such as data analytics, digital marketing, or project management.
• Flexible and accessible: Many micro-credential programs are offered online and are self-paced, allowing busy professionals to upskill without a major disruption to their work or personal life.
• Stackable: Some micro-credentials can be “stacked” or combined to eventually count toward a larger academic qualification, such as a diploma or degree.
• Verified: Most digital badges for micro-credentials contain verifiable metadata that assures employers of the authenticity of the achievement.

Benefits of Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials can improve a person’s employability and help them stand out in a competitive job market by showcasing targeted expertise. They also bridge gaps in skills.

With rapid changes in technology and the job market, micro-credentials also offer a way to quickly acquire new skills to stay relevant.

Micro-credentials are also cost and time-efficient. Compared to multi-year degree programs, micro-credentials require a smaller financial and time investment.

Micro-credentials support lifelong learning by making it easy and affordable for professionals to continuously update their skills

Providers of Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials are offered by a variety of institutions, often in collaboration with industry leaders to ensure the curriculum meets real-world demands. Providers include:

• Universities and colleges offering micro credentials based on courses from their accredited degree programs.
• Professional organizations and employers certify skills and train their employees.
• Online learning platforms like Coursera and edX partner with academic institutions and companies to offer a wide range of micro-credentials.

Verifiable Credentials

Verification in digital credentials confirms the authenticity and legitimacy of digital claims about a person, organization, or asset. It uses cryptographic signatures and secure ecosystems to create tamper-proof, instantly verifiable credentials, moving away from slow, manual verification processes. This process gives the credential holder control over their data, deciding what information to share and with whom.

Verifiable Credentials can be checked instantly and at much lower costs, which saves organizations a lot of money, resources, and time.

The main difference between the older versions of digital credentials and verifiable digital credentials is that people can instantly verify if they are authentic or not by simply scanning a QR code.

To sum up, as credentials become more granular and portable, the ecosystem is converging on Open Badges (now stewarded by 1EdTech) and on verifiable credential models. The above-mentioned digital badging platforms enhance security, verifiability, and interoperability, enabling stackable credentials that carry structured metadata (issuer, criteria, alignment to frameworks, evidence). Certification schemes like Credly can issue both a digital certificate or badge (for signalling) and a verifiable certificate (for compliance and audits). (imsglobal.org).

For tamper-evident records, early implementations (e.g., MIT’s Blockcerts) show how blockchain can back credential integrity and learner ownership—useful where international verification is frequent. The specific technology is optional, but the verifiability principle is increasingly non-negotiable. (MIT Registrar, Blockcerts)

Global certification practices involve globally recognized standards and frameworks that validate an individual’s or organization’s competence and adherence to specific requirements in various fields.

These practices are essential for:

i. International Recognition

Global certifications are recognized across borders, enabling professionals to work in diverse international settings and with multinational companies.

ii. Framework and Standards

Many fields rely on established frameworks and standards like the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) for internal audit, which provides a globally recognized structure for internal audit functions.

iii. Professional Development

Certifications validate an individual’s skills and knowledge, contributing to their professional development and career progression.

iv. Quality Assurance

Certifications help ensure consistent quality and adherence to best practices within a specific industry or field.

v. Market Access

In some sectors, such as technology, certifications can be crucial for market access, as certain clients or projects may require proof of certification.

HRCI, a global HR Certification Body

HRCI’s portfolio illustrates many of the above principles discussed on Certification.

Recognized globally as the gold standard of accredited HR certifications, HRCI, an independent non-profit organization is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). HRCI is the only global HR certification body to be accredited globally. Seven out of its eight programs have been accredited. Accreditation offers imperial, third-party validation that the development and administration of our certification programs has met stringent standards set by the testing industry.

HRCI is also the only organization appointed as the international HR Secretariat, serving as the administrative chair to provide organizational certifications under the ISO umbrella of standards. This makes HRCI the only global HR certification body to offer individual and organization certifications.

HRCI operates with more defensible job/practice analyses, a published an HR Capability Model™ connecting knowledge, stakeholder-relevant capabilities, and outcome domains, and explicit recertification requirements.

In Malaysia, HRCI offers their global HR Certification programs as a part of a Dual HR certification program with NHRC, offering the best of two worlds, i.e. global HR practises and Malaysian local labour and business legislations. The program demonstrates how stacked credentials can combine international standards with domestic governance and compliance, improving portability without losing national specificity. (Credentialing Excellence, HRCI Marketing)

A robust certification program system is a structured framework that provides assurance of quality, integrity, and compliance through independent assessment, adherence to international standards, continuous monitoring, and a commitment to transparency and improvement. Key components include having clear governance and independence, adherence to standards & job analysis, quality assessment, delivery identity, data analytics, recertification and recognition and portability.

i. Governance & independence

• Independent certification decision-making; COI policies for item writers/trainers/examiners.
• Advisory boards with employer and sector representation.
• Documented appeals, complaints, and revocation policies. (ISO/IEC 17024 governance clauses; NCCA Standards.) (ISO, Credentialing Excellence)

ii. Standards & job analysis

• Periodic job/practice analyses (typically every 5 to 7 years, or when practice shifts significantly); published summaries for transparency. (Credentialing Excellence)

iii.Assessment quality

• Validity, reliability, fairness, accessibility; standard setting aligned with test purpose; equating across forms; security and forensics. (AERA/APA/NCME Standards; NCCA Standard 17.) (AERA, ARRT Volunteer Portal)

iv. Delivery & identity

• Proctoring standards; accommodation policies; incident logs and reporting thresholds.

v. Recertification

• Three (3) year cycles with CPD hours, practice evidence, or re-examination; audits of CPD submissions; and ethics requirements.

vi. Data & analytics

• Annual technical report: reliability (e.g., KR-20/Cronbach’s alpha), item difficulty/discrimination, pass-rate monitoring, subgroup DIF analysis. (Testing standards.) (AERA)

vii. Recognition & portability

• Where applicable, seek accreditation (17024/17021-1/17065) and publish alignment to national frameworks (e.g., MQF/APEL) and international frameworks (IAF MLA). (ISO)

i. Define Certification programs vs training products.

Publish a national definition that distinguishes training courses (instructional hours, completion) from certifications (independent assessment against standards). Training programs with titles ‘Certified’ must be clearly reviewed and vetted based on the required components of a certification program.

HRD Corp guidelines (e.g., HRD-TDF 2025) and scheme documents should codify evidentiary requirements for exam quality, independence, and renewal. (HRD Corp)

ii. Require defensible job analyses.

For funded certification schemes, it is paramount that evidence of a current job/practice analysis, blueprint, and standard-setting documentation per NCCA and Testing Standards. (Credentialing Excellence, AERA)

iii. Incentivize accreditation and MLA recognition.

Encourage person-certification bodies to align with ISO/IEC 17024 and seek accreditation by global accreditation bodies, e.g., Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), International Accreditation Service (IAS), to improve global portability of Malaysian-issued credentials. (ISO)

iv. Expand access via RPEL/APEL.

Utilise RPEL and APEL as structured on-ramps for non-traditional learners (especially experienced workers without formal qualifications), with clear mapping to certification eligibility. (HRD Corp, MQA)

v. Digitize credential verification.

Adopt one of the digital credential platforms, like Credly or Open Badges 3.0, and verifiable credentials for all publicly supported certifications to enable instant employer verification and fraud reduction. (1edtech.org)

vi. Publish outcomes.

Mandate annual transparency (number tested, pass rates, time-to-credential, employment outcomes, recertification rates) for funded certifications.

The roadmap will be based on 5 phases and for a defined period of 12 months, and will include SMART KPIs, funding and incentives, risk management and roles & management.

1. Five (5) Phase Roadmap

Phase 1: Mobilize (Month 0-2)

• Establish an HTL Certification Quality Council with employer, sector, and psychometrics representation.
• Approve a national Certification Quality Code aligned to ISO/IEC and NCCA principles.
• Issue guidance distinguishing certificate courses vs certification programs; outline minimum CPP requirements (e.g., trainer credentials, ≥40 hours of prep when offered, and strict separation from exam operations).

Phase 2: Design (Month 2-5)

• Commission job/practice analyses for priority sectors (GBS/IT, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare)
• Define the relevant functional competency frameworks for Finance, HR, Tech, Supply Chain, etc and develop exam blueprints. A competency framework can be derived from the capability models of Certification bodies such as ACCA, HRCI, etc.
• Specify standard setting method and psychometric plan (pilots, field tests).

Phase 3: Build (Month 5-8)

• Develop item banks; conduct bias reviews; pilot testing.
• Select exam delivery modalities (test centres/online proctoring); define accommodations and identity verification.

Phase 4: Assure (Month 8-10)

• Run equating; finalize passing standard.
• Prepare candidate handbooks, ethics codes, and recertification guides.
• Set up, Credly or Open Badges 3.0 issuance and verification portal. (1edtech.org)

Phase 5: Launch & Accredit (Month 10-12)

• Go-live; publish pass-rate and quality metrics.
• Begin ISO/IEC 17024 readiness assessment with accreditation bodies. (ISO)

2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

In certain functions where the awareness is still low on being professionally certified, we may need to increase awareness in candidates e.g. in HR on why they need to raise the bar of HR competency and possess a globally recognised professional certificate holder in HR.

Access & equity

• Raise the level of HR practitioners by ensuring they are professionally certified in HR. % of candidates in HR elevating their skills in functional HR practise.
• % of candidates entering via RPEL/APEL routes; regional distribution; demographic coverage. (HRD Corp, MQA)

 Quality & rigor

• Reliability indices (target ≥0.70 for knowledge exams).
• DIF analysis results with remediation timelines.
• Standard-setting documentation completeness (per NCCA). (Credentialing Excellence)

Relevance & outcomes

• Post Certification Support for organizations and individuals to ensure application of learning, i.e. skill-use as part of OJT (On the Job Training) and measured. 0-3 months post certification
• Employer satisfaction and progress on skill-use indices. 3–6 months post-certification.
• Employment/advancement and wage outcomes relative to matched non-certified cohorts (drawing on labor statistics methodology similar to BLS reporting). (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Portability & recognition

• Collaboration and MOUs with industry bodies; # of international employers accepting the credential; accreditation status (17024/17021-1/17065). (ISO)

3. Integrity & trust

• Proctoring incident rate; item exposure rate; audit findings closed within SLA.
• Funding and incentives
• Tie HRD levy utilization for certification prep to recognized schemes with published frameworks, current job analyses, and transparent recertification rules; prioritize those on a path to ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation. (HRD Corp)
• Critical to encourage post-certification application of knowledge in the day-to-day. Offer outcome-based subsidies where providers deliver verified pass-through to employment or role advancement, not just completions.
• Provide support for SME/MSME sector candidates via RPEL/APEL fee waivers and workplace assessment grants. (HRD Corp, MQA). Critical to raise the bar of functional skills in the MSME and SME sectors

4. Risk Management and Mitigation

1. Risk: “Credential inflation” without real value. Mitigation: Require job/practice analyses, employer validation, and annual outcome reporting (hiring, performance, retention). (Credentialing Excellence)
2. Risk: Conflicts between trainers and exam owners. Mitigation: Separate CPP from the certification body; enforce quality vs quantity; enforce content firewalls; publish item-exposure and security practices.
3. Risk: Cross-border recognition gaps. Mitigation: Use globally recognised accreditation bodies and reference ISO standards in scheme documentation.
4. Risk: Fraudulent or unverifiable credentials. Mitigation: Issue credentials like Credly with verifiable metadata; consider blockchain anchoring for high-stakes sectors (healthcare, safety). (MIT Registrar)

AS IS Certification Programs in Malaysian Case Studies (illustrative)

1. GBS / Digital & AI operations Role-based certifications (e.g., Service Delivery Analyst, Automation Lead, Prompt Engineer) are built on practice analyses with scenario-based assessments; micro-credentials stack into a professional certification, issued as Open Badges 3.0 for immediate employer verification. (1edtech.org)
2. Logistics & trucking (PATH, safety, compliance) Blend mandatory training with competence assessments; recognize prior experience via RPEL; align organizational certifications with ISO 9001/45001 under 17021-1 for safety culture. (HRD Corp, ISO)
3. HR Functional -Professional Certification (Dual HR Certification)

4. HRCI, a global HR Certification body, teams up with NHRC, a division of HRDCorp, to offer ‘World’s No 1 Dual HR Certification’ offering the best of both worlds, i.e. global HR best practices and Malaysian labour law and related laws, credentials. These programs ensure both portability and national compliance-an approach already proven locally. (NHRC and HRCI Marketing). Credentials, i.e. digital certificates and badges, can be verified on Credly by Pearson Vue (Credly).

5. Roles and responsibilities

• HTLs / HRD Corp: steward the national Certification Quality Code, approve sector pilots, publish outcomes dashboards, and facilitate accreditation pathways. (HRD Corp)
• Industry partners: chair SME panels; provide worksites for performance assessments; co-own job analyses.
• Globally Recognised Certification bodies: own standards, exams, governance, and recertification; seek 17024/ via global accreditation bodies like IAS, NCCA (ISO)
• CPPs: deliver preparation hours and practice labs – without access to item banks or live forms.

Certification that counts is not about hours of instruction or certificate programs; it is about a credible, validated demonstration of competence that employers recognize and trust. By anchoring Malaysian programs to ISO/IEC and NCCA standards, widening access via RPEL/APEL, and adopting verifiable digital credentials, HTLs can build a relevant certification market that delivers for workers, firms, and the economy- at

home and across borders. As the borders are blurring, it is pertinent that the certifications are globally recognised to ensure employability and also acceptable for the gig community.

The framework and roadmap above translate policy intent into operational steps and measurable outcomes, ensuring that every ringgit invested in skills turns into productivity, mobility, and resilience for Malaysia’s workforce. (ISO, Credentialing Excellence, HRD Corp, 1edtech.org)

• ISO/IEC 17024: Conformity assessment—Requirements for bodies certifying persons. (ISO)
• ISO/IEC 17021-1 & 17065: Requirements for bodies certifying management systems, and products/processes/services. (ISO)
• International Accreditation Forum (IAF) & Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA). (IAF)
• NCCA Standards (Institute for Credentialing Excellence). (Credentialing Excellence)
• AERA/APA/NCME, Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (2014). (AERA)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Certification and licensing status of the employed (2024). (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• The 26 Best HR Certification Courses 2025 by Finn Bartram of Peoplemanagingpeople (https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/career/hr-certification-and-courses)
• World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2023. (World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum)
• HRD Corp Guidelines (HRD-TDF 2025; scheme documents). (HRD Corp)
• MQA APEL & HRD Corp RPEL guidelines. (MQA, HRD Corp)
• 1EdTech Open Badges 3.0 (technical and policy notes). (1edtech.org)
• HRCI program data and capability model. (HRD Corp and HRCI Marketing)

Source presentation: HRD Corp Thought Leaders Braintrust No. 1/2025 – “Certification That Counts” (slides).

Prepared for HRD Corp Thought Leaders (HTLs) and sector partners to guide the design and governance of certification systems that matter to employers and Malaysians.