While certification and licensure are two credentials may seem the same, each one is unique and very different from the other. Many career field jobs usually require one or the other, but some career fields may have workers with both. And if you have GI Bill benefits you can likely use your benefits to obtain the training needed to obtain either certification or licensure.
Certification
As of 2015, 26% of the employed workforce had some type of certification. Two characteristics of a certification are:
- It is awarded by a professional organization or other nongovernmental body.
- It is not usually legally required to work in the occupation associated with it.
Many certifications require passing an examination to demonstrate competency in a specific field. While usually not necessary to hold a position, being certified can increase chances of getting hired, boost salary, or even result in a promotion. Three career fields with high numbers of certified workers include computer science, installation, maintenance and repair, and healthcare.
Computer Science
Computer programmers are many times certified in several programming languages or in the products they use in their work, such as a Microsoft Certification. Due to the nature of their work, many system, network and database administrators also obtain certifications.
Installation, Maintenance and Repair
Whether working construction, vehicle maintenance, or any of other trade fields, many of the employed are certified. For example, mechanics can earn an ASE certification in various specialties, such as brakes or transmissions. Having a certification assures the people or companies hiring them that they are knowledgeable and trained in their field.
Healthcare
This career field can have both certifications and licensure. While many jobs do not require a certification, healthcare is an exception. For example, nursing assistants must pass a competency certification exam and placed on a state registry to work in a nursing home as a Certified Nursing Assistant. In another example, orderlies are required to have the Basic Life Support certification to show they are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Licensure
A license, on the other hand, must be:
- Awarded by a governmental agency authorized to issue the license.
- Required to work in the associated occupation.
Issuance of a license may require just passing an exam or may require holding a specific degree first before taking the test, as is the case being a veterinarian for example.
As of last year, about 22% of the employed held some type of license. The top fields requiring licensing include:
- Healthcare
- Legal and Protective Services
- Community and Social Services
- Personal Care
Healthcare
Primary occupations within this career field requiring licensing include physicians (along with physician assistants and nurse practitioners), LPNs and RNs in nursing, pharmacists, dental hygienists and certain therapy providers.
Legal and Protective Services
Lawyers and judges must be licensed in their legal field, along with firefighters and police detectives in protective services.
Community and Social Services
In these two groups, those working with substance abuse, behavioral disorders and mental health counseling must be licensed to practice in their respective field.
Personal Care and Service
Funeral directors, childcare workers and gaming dealers must all be licensed, along with barbers, hairdressers and skincare specialists.
Other smaller, but still popular career fields, such as aircraft or watercraft pilot, real estate brokers, insurance agents, engineers and financial advisors require licensing in the state which they are registered.
The GI Bill can be used to pay for non-degree training necessary to obtain licensure or certification in most cases. Many do not know that it can also be used to help pay the cost of either via reimbursement. The Weam’s License and Certification Search Site shows by state which licensures and certifications are reimbursable and the maximum cost covered.
