The Trusted Skills certification application process complies with ISO 17024 standards by incorporating the following mandatory elements:[i]

· Information required to identify the applicant.

· The scope of the desired certification.

· A statement that the applicant agrees to comply with the certification requirements and supply any information needed for the assessment.

· Opportunity for the candidate to declare, within reason, a request for accommodation of special needs.

· The assessment is planned and structured to ensure the defined requirements are objectively and systematically verified with evidence to confirm the candidate’s skill.

· The certification criteria for assessment of evidence shall be established, documented, and monitored.

· The definition of evidence must ensure the comparability of each candidate’s results, both in content and difficulty, including the validity of a Trusted Skills certification decision. This will ensure that each assessment is fair and valid.

· The assessment process will verify and accommodate special needs within reason and where the integrity of the assessment is not violated.

· Procedures must ensure a consistent administration.

During the prototype phase, the certifying body is Calgary Arts Development Authority.[ii] The certifying body is operationalized through the Certification Oversight Board (COB), accountable for defining and maintaining oversight of all Trusted Skills certifications, including approving certification criteria, the skill certification processes, and appointing Trusted Skills reviewers. In compliance with ISO 17024 standards, the COB incorporates the following mandatory elements:[iii]

· Is responsible for all decisions relating to certification, including the granting, maintaining, expanding, and reducing the scope of the certification.

· Will make public the scope of the certification criteria and a general description of the certification process.

· Will maintain comprehensive certification records. These records will be identified, managed, and disposed of to maintain confidentiality.

· Incorporates policies and procedures necessary to ensure security throughout the entire certification process.

· Will verify and provide information, upon request, on whether an individual holds a current, valid certification and the scope of that certification.

· Incorporates processes and policies to prevent fraudulent examination practices.

· Will monitor the performance of the reviewers and the reliability of the reviewers’ judgements.

· If certification is fully deployed, it will ensure that the certification criteria is assessed and validated on an ongoing, systematic basis.

The applicant who is pursuing Trusted Skills Certification.

Certification criteria defines the certification criteria and evidence by which the Oversight Board (COB) determines that a person fulfils certification requirements (also referred to as “standards”), including application, assessment, decision on certification, recertification and use of certificates and logos/marks as applicable. Certification criteria comply with ISO 17024 standards by incorporating the following mandatory elements:[iv]

· A definition and scope of each certification and recertification.

· A definition of the required skills to be awarded certification.

· A definition of the assessment methods required for the initial certification and recertification.

· A definition of the required evidence of this skill.

· A definition of the certification criteria for suspending and withdrawing certification.

· A definition of the certification criteria for changing the scope or level of certification.

· Be managed by appropriate experts.

· Embed appropriate processes and structures.

The information used to award a Trusted Skills certification complies with ISO 17024 standards by incorporating the following mandatory elements:[v]

· Certification decisions are the sole discretion of the COB.

· All information used is traceable.

· The COB will award certification based on only the certification criteria.

· Those on the COB are not in conflict of interest with the candidate.

· Those appointed to the COB possess the expertise to decide on awarding certification.

· Certification will not be granted until all certification requirements are fulfilled.

· If certification is fully deployed, the COB must provide a documented process to receive, evaluate and make decisions on appeals, including the following:

· A public process for appealing, including providing timely updates on the status of an appeal.

· A process for tracking and recording an appeal.

· A process to ensure corrective action will be taken if applicable.

· Policies to ensure appeals are timely and impartial.

· Process to guarantee that the submission, investigation, and decision on appeals shall not result in discriminatory actions against the appellant.

The certification fee is the cost associated with reviewing each. This fee is a direct cost recovery to compensate the Trusted Skills reviewers. The certification fee for the prototype is $500, which CADA will fully sponsor.

Trusted Skills Certification is operationalized through the Certification Oversight Board (COB), accountable for defining and maintaining oversight of all Trusted Skills certifications, including approving certification criteria, the skill certification processes, and appointing Trusted Skills reviewers.

Certified expert assigned to review the evidence submitted by a candidate. The selection and approval processes shall ensure that reviewers:

· Are certified by the COB as having expertise in the specific skill being assessed.

· Understand and can apply the certification process.

· Have identified any known conflicts of interest to ensure impartial judgements are made.

· Will remain anonymous to a candidate.[vi]

The COB will provide a certificate to all persons who have been awarded Trusted Skills Certification. The COB maintains the sole ownership of the certificates. The format of the certificate during the prototype will be defined by the COB and be authorized by a responsible member of the COB, and contain the following:

· Certified person’s name.

· Certifying body’s name.

· Refer to the certification criteria where relevant.

· The scope of the certification.

· Awarding date of the certification.

· Elements to minimize the risk of counterfeiting.

In a skill development context, decoupling involves disconnecting the process of developing a skill and certifying a skill. Higher education often integrates these paths. For example, an individual takes a class and is assessed upon completion as meeting a defined learning outcome. Decoupling puts the primacy of skill certification by recognizing that infinite ways to develop a skill exist. The decoupling principle is widely used today in various professional fields, including skilled trades and motor vehicle licensing.

This category includes persons who have obtained a secondary or high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate. The section also includes university certificates or diplomas below the bachelor’s level. University certificates or diplomas commonly link with professional associations in accounting, banking, insurance, or public administration. The certificates and diplomas in this category do not require a bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite.[vii]

Enabling skills (also called transferable, human, or soft skills) incorporate aptitude, ability, knowledge, and skills associated with problem-solving, self-reliance, collaboration, communications, core literacies, and core workplace skills.

An e-portfolio is a digital collection of documents submitted for review through an online portal. In the Trusted Skills program, you’ll be submitting your e-portfolio through a DropBox link. Your documents will be reviewed as a package - or “portfolio” - of work by a professional team of experts.

The hours put into a specific skill development experience. To be recognized in most certification programs, such as co-operative education or the Red Seal, hours need to be tracked and documented.

Tangible evidence of a defined skill.

Equal opportunity for success provided to each candidate in the Trusted Skills Certification process.[viii]

The evidence associated with each certification will be assigned one of four standards:

Level 0: No evidence of basic skill level

Level 1: Evidence of basic skill

Level 2: Evidence of advanced skill

Level 3: Evidence of expert skill

Functional skills are linked to skills needed to complete a specific role, such as an accountant, a project manager, a chef, a nurse, or a software developer. Functional skills embed the ability to adapt and apply this skill across different sectors. Functional skills can develop through a variety of certified, non-certified, and informal skill development. However, the foundation for many functional skills is developed through forms of certified skill development. For example, university and college programming often center around a functional skill (e.g., Bachelor of Nursing; Culinary Arts Diploma).

Presence of objectivity. Objectivity means that conflicts of interest do not exist or are resolved to not adversely influence subsequent activities of the certifying body.[ix]

Job-specific skills incorporate aptitude, ability, knowledge, and skills needed to complete a functional task (e.g., accounting, welding) or apply a skill to a unique sectoral context (e.g., oil and gas, logistics).

A license is a permit from a recognized authority to perform a defined task (e.g., medical).[x]

The management of impartiality complies with ISO 17024 standards by incorporating the following mandatory elements:[xi]

· The COB shall document its structure, policies, and procedures to manage impartiality and ensure that the certification activities are undertaken impartially. The COB shall have management commitment to impartiality in Trusted Skills certification activities. The COB shall have a statement publicly accessible without request that it understands the importance of impartiality in carrying out its certification activities, manages conflict of interest and ensures the objectivity of its certification activities.

· The COB shall act impartially concerning its applicants, candidates, and certified persons.

· Certification policies and procedures shall be fair among all applicants, candidates, and certified persons.

· Certification shall not be restricted on the grounds of undue financial or other limiting conditions, such as membership in an association or group. The COB shall not use procedures to unfairly impede or inhibit access by applicants and candidates.

· The COB shall be responsible for the impartiality of its certification activities and shall not allow commercial, financial, or other pressures to compromise impartiality.

· The COB shall identify threats to its impartiality on an ongoing basis. This shall include threats that arise from its activities, its related bodies, its relationships, or the relationships of its personnel. However, such relationships do not necessarily present a body with a threat to impartiality.

· The COB shall analyze, document, and eliminate or minimize the potential conflict of interests arising from its certification activities. The COB shall document and be able to demonstrate how it eliminates, minimizes, or manages such threats. All potential sources of conflict of interest identified, whether they arise from within the certifying body, such as assigning responsibilities to personnel or from the activities of other persons, bodies, or organizations, shall be covered.

Mentors are experienced and trusted advisors who can be critical to your success and your future. In the Trusted Skills program, we refer to mentors as part of the Designing YOU process, and you can learn more about the role of mentorship here.

A meta study is a systemic review of qualitative and quantitative study data on a specific topic.

Non certified programming refers to any skill development or learning opportunity that does not involve a form of certification (badge, completion certificate, diploma, degree etc).

Primary research is a methodology used by researchers to collect data directly from a human or experimental source. It is different from secondary research, which relies on the analysis of existing data, structures or studies to draw inferences or conclusions.

A professional field is a group of people or organizations with a common professional interest, such as an industry (e.g., film) or occupation (e.g., digital marketers). The establishment of a new certification can be initiated by any professional field that identifies demand for skill certification. If approved, a designated professional field is accountable for establishing an oversight committee responsible for developing and managing all aspects associated with their certification. The professional field for the prototype is marketing.

In a scenario of full deployment, each certification will be the responsibility of a designated Professional Field Oversight Board (PFOB). The PFOB will be accountable to the Certification Oversight Board.

The Trusted Skills Project Governance Committee is mandated to provide counsel for developing and deploying the Trusted Skills Certification prototype between April and October 2022. The project governance committee comprises representative stakeholders, including employers, skill developers, professionals, and functional experts.

Proprietary credentials are those granted by a private organization (such as Adobe, Cisco, Google or Hootsuite) to individuals who have taken skill development training focused on a single, proprietary system (Adobe Creative Suite, Cisco online testing, Google SEO, Hootsuite technology training).

The Trusted Skills program is currently a prototype - a model that we will examine, adapt and improve before using it as the standard for future programs of its kind.

The indicator of the extent to which examination scores are consistent across different examination times and locations, different examination forms and different reviewers.[xii]

A process led by a Trusted Skills reviewer that evaluates a person’s fulfillment of the requirements of the certification criteria.[xiii]

Sectoral expertise is the unique contextual knowledge or skills needed to complete a specific role within a defined sector. For example, a sector may have unique regulatory, legal, or historical contexts that influence a functional role. For example, an accountant in oil and gas may require specialized knowledge compared to an accountant in the financial services sector. The challenge with sector expertise is the highly contextual nature of sub-sectors within a sector. For example, the oil and gas sector comprise dozens of specialized sub-sectors, including upstream, midstream, and downstream. Within each of these sub-sectors, an additional specialization is tied to exploration, drilling, transportation, refining, and distribution.

Unlike functional skills, sector expertise is primarily developed and refined through direct experience in a sector. The immersion in a sector contextualizes functional skills to this sector. For instance, an individual with strong functional marketing skills must adapt these skills to shift from consumer-packaged goods to tourism.

This is the process of a candidate assessing their skills compared to the certification criteria. Based on the self-assessment, a candidate can establish a skill development plan to meet the criteria for Trusted Skills Certification. This plan may incorporate various skill development experiences, including certified, non-certified, or informal skill development. The Trusted Skills Certification website supplies guidance on development pathways and resources available by the diverse skill ecosystem.

The combination of aptitude, ability, and knowledge to complete a task. In this project, we cluster skills into two categories: enabling skills and job-specific skills.

This is the evidence a candidate is asked to submit to prove their skill. The evidence is contextual to each certification.

Skill certification is the practice applied to decide if a candidate has evidence of the aptitude, ability, knowledge, and skills needed to complete a defined task.

Trusted Skills Certification aligns with the economic development priorities Calgary. This model is intentionally decoupled from a specific skill development process and is granted by an independent community body. The legitimacy is rooted in the rigour of the Trusted Skills certification and the potential for ubiquity across a community’s skill ecosystem.[xiv]

The Trusted Skills reflection is embedded as a component in a Trusted Skills ePortfolio. This reflection requires a candidate to reflect on how their evidence, experience, and perspective contribute to their skill. The reflection component is an explicit opportunity for a candidate to provide context and insight to the Trusted Skills reviewer into just how they have developed their skills and its link to their ePortfolio. Reflection may be submitted in either written or video format.

Evidence that the assessment measures what it is intended to measure, as defined by the certification criteria.