5 Ways to Make Industry Certifications More Meaningful to Students

As schools and districts have increasingly prioritized career readiness and workforce development, they have sought tangible ways to teach, assess, and document students’ growth and development in these areas. Creating opportunities for students to earn industry certifications has become a common practice to bolster career learning and skill development for students. 

Industry certifications have also become a standard measure for states and districts to gauge the success of college and career readiness programs. Because these certifications are an objective measure of career readiness skills–typically defined by professional organizations from the specific field– many districts across the country have included goals and targeted thresholds for industry certifications into their strategic plans. And several states have built in rates of earned industry certifications into their school or district grade formula. 

With this backdrop, more and more students are earning industry certifications before graduation. In many districts, students as young as middle school have the opportunity to become certified in different software applications, IT, graphic design, food safety, and a wide variety of other fields. And these credentials have enormous benefits for students as they show documentation of high-level, professional-grade skills and knowledge base. Oftentimes, however, students do not fully realize how they can utilize these certifications beyond their classwork and how they map onto longer-term career interests. 

Counselors and CTE educators can use these tips to make industry certifications even more meaningful to students as they explore careers and plan for their future. 

• Regularly talk about jobs that utilize these certifications with students to help them learn more about real-world career applications. It is common for students to hear that the industry certifications they earn can help them in different careers. Pairing the skill development with lessons about those careers can help add layers of understanding and connection for students. CTE educators might share the education required, salary, hours, and overall dynamics of different professional roles in order to give students and their families more specific examples of ways these certifications can be used in their postsecondary journeys. 

• Invite guest speakers who use the specific certifications in their fields to talk with students. Giving students role models for professionals who utilize the skills and certifications in their day-to-day jobs helps them to visualize and understand more deeply the connections between their learning and a future role. Opportunities to ask questions and hear personal accounts allow students to better understand different components of relevant careers that might appeal to them and to connect with professionals who could serve as future mentors. 

• Use real-world use cases in assignments and projects as students learn the content. When students understand how their learning can be used in tangible ways, it is often more meaningful to them. In order for students to understand the relationship between the skills they learn in a course with an industry certification and a future role, educators can use real-world applications of the skills for student assignments. This offers students a clear understanding of how they can put these skills into action in an actual career and often refines the development of skills. 

• Show students how they would describe the certification on a resume or in a job interview. Industry certifications are incredibly valuable for future professional and academic opportunities. Many students, however, do not know how to communicate the benefits of the certification or even how to describe the skills the certifications represent in a more nuanced way. As part of a course where students earn certifications, CTE educators can work with students to create a resume where they highlight the certifications and find ways to describe the relevant skills. This practice adds layers of utility and meaning to the certification itself and teaches students how to construct a resume and practice interview questions–career development skills that are transferable across fields and throughout a student’s long-term trajectory. 

• Share additional coursework and certifications students can take to advance these skills. Many industry certifications are associated with hands-on or project-based learning experiences that resonate with students in ways other coursework does not. As students are finishing up one course, share information about additional courses or certifications in the same field so interested students can continue to develop interests, passions, and skills. When creating information guides of career pathways, CTE educators and program coordinators might also map on the relevant industry certifications to the programs so students and families can understand how different courses and certifications connect and which pathways provide students with these powerful career development opportunities. 

‍Celebrate the Accomplishments

Students work hard to earn industry certifications. They require a level of commitment and skill designed for professional settings. These accomplishments should be honored alongside celebrations of other academic, athletic, and service awards and distinctions. CTE educators might consider including a way to recognize students who have earned industry certifications at end-of-year awards and graduation ceremonies. They might distribute cords or other visual representations for graduating students that show that this work is valued. They might have a career development set of accomplishments that are honored at these events. Doing this conveys to both the students and the broader community that career pathways, work-based learning hours, and the effort to earn industry certifications are worthwhile and prioritized within your school or district.

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