Certifications in our country are broadly divided into two categories.
There are ‘national qualifications’ created and operated directly by the government, and ‘private qualifications’ created and operated by the private sector.
The biggest criterion to distinguish between the two is the extent to which its usefulness has been socially proven.
Since national certifications are recognized by the government as clear legal standards, their use is guaranteed to some extent once they are acquired. However, private certifications are those created and operated by private individuals or organizations based on demand. You need to find out in detail whether it is actually helpful for getting a job or starting a business.
National qualification
A national qualification is something that is granted by the state to allow a person to engage in specialized activities, or is recognized by the state as having a specific qualification. National qualifications can be further divided into ‘national technical qualifications’ and ‘national professional qualifications’.
National technical certification
This is a certification that verifies skills or service-oriented abilities related to the industry. There are many different types of qualifications available across almost every industry.
There are qualification levels for each competency in the national technical certification. There are some differences depending on the type of certification. The field of technology and skills is divided into five levels: technician, master craftsman, engineer, industrial engineer, and technician. In some cases, the service field is divided into level 1, level 2, etc., and in other cases, there is no level distinction.
Meanwhile, the national technical qualification test taken by the most people in Korea is computer literacy. According to data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the most frequently applied qualifications over the past three years were computer literacy levels 1 and 2. Given the nature of modern society, where IT is closely embedded in all aspects of life, it seems natural that the number of companies looking for people with IT and OA skills is increasing.
The computer skills certification is so heavily related to the use of Excel that it is also called an Excel certification. Having a computer skills certificate does not guarantee that you are good at using Excel, but from a company’s perspective, a person with a certificate can be judged to have at least a minimum of computer-related knowledge and the ability to use Excel. Since Excel accounts for the lion’s share of office workers’ work, job seekers tend to think that having a computer skills certificate is basic for getting a job.
National professional qualification
National professional certification is a certification directly managed by government ministries such as the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
National professional qualifications that we see around us include lawyer, accountant, real estate agent, social worker, and childcare teacher. In fact, in our country, these are qualifications that must be met in order to work in the field, and are actually close to the concept of a ‘license.’
In other words, the qualifications required to be recognized as an expert in a field are national professional qualifications.
Private certification
This refers to a certification created and operated by an individual or organization rather than the state. Private qualifications are divided into nationally recognized private qualifications and registered private qualifications recognized by the government.
Registered private certification
If the certificate is created in the private sector, it must be registered at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training. This is because the government created a system to prevent false or exaggerated advertising and other consumer harm.
So, it is safe to say that all private certifications are registered with the government. There are some private certificates that are not registered, but you can just think of them as fraud and turn off your interest.
As of 2021, approximately 40,000 private qualifications are registered. This is because anyone can easily register. It’s nothing special.
So, when looking for information, if you see a place that advertises that it is a ‘nationally registered certification’ as if it is something special, it may be a good idea to be suspicious. This means that there is nothing to show off.
Nationally recognized private certification
If it’s so easy to make and there are so many different types out there, wouldn’t all private certifications themselves be so useless?
That’s not necessarily true. This is because many private qualifications are more recognized than national qualifications.
Computerized tax accounting is a representative example. In fact, the industry recognizes it more than the national certification, Computerized Accounting Management. In the end, a certificate is only useful if it is recognized in the workplace.
Among these registered private qualifications, there is a nationally recognized private qualification in which the government recognizes excellent private qualifications that are socially helpful.
Through this nationally recognized process, the lack of public confidence in private qualifications is filled.
As of 2021, approximately 100 private certifications are registered as nationally recognized. Considering that there are about 40,000 private qualifications, this does not seem to be a large number. If you think about it conversely, it can be said that if it is a nationally recognized private qualification, it is that much more reliable.
finally..
A considerable amount of money and time is invested to acquire either a national or private qualification.
Companies that issue certificates say that they are unconditionally helpful for starting a business or getting a job. Because that’s how you make a profit. That’s the physiology of a company and the same goes for any certification.
This is what we need to care about. You should be wary of places that charge high textbook and lecture fees for useless certifications.
These days, there are many cases where low-quality training is provided for free at first and then a high fee is charged when issuing a certificate.
In conclusion, I think the best certification is one that is difficult to obtain but is essential for starting a business or getting a job. When accessing certification, it is important to look for information through various reliable channels rather than just trusting what advertisements or related companies say.