Dec. 16, 2013
NBAA’s Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) program is now accredited by one of the premier U.S. organizations aimed at demonstrating the quality of professional training and commitment.
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an arm of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, granted the CAM program accreditation after a two-year vetting process.
NCCA-accredited programs certify individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations. NCCA has accredited approximately 300 programs, including the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, and the Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) designation. In addition there are many medical programs that are certified, such as those from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Medical Technologists, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and more.
According to NBAA CAM Administrative Director Jay Evans:“It took us more than 10 years from the time we administered the first CAM test in 2003 to achieve this accreditation,” he said. “It took us a while to evolve the CAM program to meet the NCCA standard. It is quite a process of documentation and support.”
The NCCA accreditation is exhaustive, said Anjali Weber, director of accreditation at ICE.
“There are 21 standards within the NCCA framework,” Weber noted. “Following those standards protects the validity of the certification process, ensuring there is no undue influence from outside the organization. There are requirements for governance, transparency, candidate rights, discipline and appeals.”
NCCA accreditation puts certified aviation managers on a par with other professionals, such as certified human-resource professionals and certified financial planners, also accredited by the NCCA. About 300 certification programs have so far received NCCA accreditation. Each must renew those credentials every five years through an exhaustive system of recertification and abilities demonstration.
ICE, formerly the National Association for Competency Assurance, was organized in 1976 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor in an effort to develop standards to evaluate the quality of certification programs.
“The government recognized the need for uniform standards when declaring someone ‘certified,’” explained Weber. “There’s a lot of misuse when it comes to words like ‘certification.’ This provides third-party certification that someone has demonstrated the competencies that need to be met.”
That third-party recognition is a critical measure of trust.
“For candidates of programs like CAM, you’re demonstrating your commitment to upholding standards demonstrating integrity,” she added. ”It’s yet another measure employers can use to qualify their applicants.”
NCCA accreditation marks a major milestone in the evolution of NBAA’s CAM program, Evans said.
“It’s recognition of the work that was put into the CAM program from the very beginning,” he remarked. “It says CAM candidates and those who hold the certification are achieving industry standards and are striving to be the best aviation leaders possible. We hope this accreditation enables us to continue raising the industry standard.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.