List of Credentials | NC Careers.org

The NC Workforce Credentials Advisory Council identifies priority non-degree credentials that are valued by employers and puts those who earn them on a path to a sustainable wage career. There are four categories of credentials: Foundational, Essential, Career and Advanced. Note that the lists for Essential and Career are separate from the lists for Foundational and Advanced. A PDF Version of this list can be viewed by clicking here.

This list will be augmented as NC Workforce Credentials reviews additional career areas. To learn how to submit a non-degree credential for consideration for inclusion to the list, go to the FAQ.

Lists reflects updates as of 12/31/2023

List of Essential & Career Credentials

An Essential Credential provides skills highly valued by employers that are tied directly to occupations that offer family sustaining wages or a pathway to career growth.

A Career Credential provides skills highly valued by employers that are tied directly to occupations that offer a family sustaining wages, with a wage boost.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Canine Care and Training Program (CCTP)	Essential	Continental Kennel Club
Certified Horsemanship	Essential	Certified Horsemanship Association
Equine Management and Evaluation Certification	Essential	Elanco
Small Engine Repair	Essential	Briggs and Stratton- lawn mowers
NC Pesticide Applicator	Essential	NCDA&CS
Pesticide Applicator, Ornamental & Turf Pest Control	Essential	NCDA&CS
Certified Veterinary Assistant	Career	Texas Veterinary Medical Association
Wastewater Operator Certification Level I, II, III, IV	Career	NC Department of Environmental Quality

Architecture & Construction

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Blacksmith (Steel Worker)	Essential	ABANA - Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America
AWS SENSE - Thermal Cutting Process	Essential	American Welding Society (AWS)
AWS SENSE- Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)	Essential	American Welding Society (AWS)
AWS SENSE- Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)	Essential	American Welding Society (AWS)
AWS SENSE- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)	Essential	American Welding Society (AWS)
Section 608 Technician Certification	Essential	State Board of Refrigeration Contractors
ESCO Employment Ready: Duct and Envelope Testing	Essential	ESCO Group
ESCO Employment Ready: Air Conditioning	Essential	ESCO Group
ESCO Employment Ready: Heat Pump	Essential	ESCO Group
ESCO Employment Ready: HVAC Electrical	Essential	ESCO Group
ESCO Employment Ready: Basic Refrigeration and Charging Procedures	Essential	ESCO Group
Universal R-410a Certification	Essential	Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Certified Assistant Refrigeration Operator (CARO)	Essential	Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA)
Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA)	Essential	SolidWorks
Fundamentals of Solar PV Design and Installation (FSPV)	Essential	NC Clean Energy Technology Center, NC State University
Apprenticeship - Carpentry	Career	ApprenticeshipNC
Apprenticeship - HVAC Construction	Career	ApprenticeshipNC
Apprenticeship - Plumbing	Career	ApprenticeshipNC
Apprenticeship - Welding	Career	ApprenticeshipNC
Apprenticeship - Cabinet Maker	Career	ApprenticeshipNC
NCCER Concrete Finisher	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
NCCER Heavy Equipment Operations Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
NCCER Carpentry Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
NCCER Electrical Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
NCCER HVAC Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
NCCER Masonry Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
NCCER Plumbing Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
AWS Certified Welder	Career	American Welding Society
NCCER Welding Level I, II, III	Career	National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER)
WCA Sawblade Certificate	Career	Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA)
Autodesk Certified Professional Inventor	Career	Autodesk or Certiport
Autodesk Certified Professional Revit	Career	Autodesk or Certiport
Autodesk Certified User AutoCAD	Career	Autodesk or Certiport
Autodesk Certified User Inventor	Career	Autodesk or Certiport
Autodesk Certified User Revit	Career	Autodesk or Certiport
Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician	Career	American National Standards Institute
Certified Industrial Refrigeration Operator (CIRO)	Career	Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA)
Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP)	Career	SolidWorks
Electrical Lineworker	Career	Carolinas Energy Workforce Consortium
Professional Land Surveyor	Career	NC Society of Surveyors

Arts, A/V Technology & Communications

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Adobe Certified Professional	Career	Adobe Systems

Business, Management & Administration

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Microsoft Office Specialist 2016 or above Access	Essential	Microsoft
Microsoft Office Specialist 2016 or above Excel Core	Essential	Microsoft
Microsoft Office Specialist 2016 or above Excel Expert	Essential	Microsoft
Intuit QuickBooks Certified User	Essential	Certiport/Peason Vue
HRCI Associate Professional in Human Resources® (aPHR®)	Career	HR Certification Institute

Education & Training

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Child Development Associate	Essential	Council for Professional Recognition
NC: Early Childhood Credential (NCECC) Equivalency	Essential	NC Division of Child Development

Finance

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Certified Bookkeeper	Essential	American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
NC: Casualty Agent	Career	NC Department of Insurance
NC: Health Insurance Agent	Career	NC Department of Insurance
NC: Life Insurance Agent	Career	NC Department of Insurance
NC: Property Agent	Career	NC Department of Insurance
NC Insurance Adjuster's License	Career	NC Department of Insurance

Health Sciences

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Surgical Technologist	Essential	National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
NHA Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)	Essential	National Healthcareer Association
NC: Pharmacy Technician Certification	Essential	NC Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
AAPC Certified Professional Coder CPC®	Essential	American Academy of Professional Coders
NHA Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS)	Essential	National Healthcareer Association
Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician	Essential	American Academy of Professional Coders
NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS)	Essential	National Healthcareer Association
NC: Nurse Aide I & II	Essential	N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation
ASPT Patient Care Technician	Essential	American Society of Phlebotomy Technician
Community Health Worker	Essential	NC Community Health Worker Certification and Accreditation Board (NC Department of Health Service Regulation)
Certified Clinical Medical Assistant	Essential	National Healthcareer Association
Phlebotomy Technician	Essential	National Healthcareer Association
Certified EKG Technician	Career	National Healthcareer Association
AHiMA Certified Coding Associate (CCA®)	Career	American Health Information Management Association
NAHAM Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM)	Career	National Association of Healthcare Access Management
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)	Career	Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel (JCAHPO)
Certified Registered Central Service Technician	Career	International Association of Healthcare Central Service Mat
ARRT Mammography	Career	American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist	Career	NC Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy
CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)	Career	Cardiovascular Credentialing International
AHDI Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS)	Career	Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity
AMT Medical Assistant (RMA)	Career	American Medical Technologists
Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician	Career	Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution

Hospitality & Tourism

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM)	Essential	American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Certified Fundamentals Cook (CFC)	Essential	American Culinary Federation
Certified Hospitality and Tourism Management Professional (CHTMP)	Essential	American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
ServSafe Food Manager	Essential	National Restaurant Association
ProStart National Certificate of Achievement (COA)	Career	National Restaurant Association Education Foundation(NRAEF)
Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS)	Career	American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute

Human Services

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Cosmetologist	Essential	NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners
NC: Registered Barber	Essential	NC Board of Barber Examiners
Nail Technician	Essential	NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners
Natural Hair Care Specialist	Essential	NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners
Esthetician	Essential	NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners

Information Technology

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Certified Ethical Hacker	Essential	E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council)
Cisco Certified Cyber Ops Associate	Essential	Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)	Essential	Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)	Essential	Cisco Systems, Inc.
CompTIA CySA+	Essential	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
CompTIA Linux+	Essential	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
CompTIA Project+	Essential	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
Linux Essentials	Essential	Linux Professional Institute (LPI)
ICCP Certified Computing Professional (CCP)	Career	Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals
IEEE Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP)	Career	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
CompTIA A+	Career	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
CompTIA IT Fundamentals	Career	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
CompTIA Network +	Career	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
CompTIA Security +	Career	Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
NI Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD)	Career	NI - National Instruments

Law, Public, Safety, Corrections & Security

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)	Essential	NC Office of Emergency Medical Services
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)	Essential	NC Office of Emergency Medical Services
National Incident Management System	Essential	FEMA - Emergency Management Institute
NC: Emergency Management Certification I & II	Essential	NC Division of Emergency Management
NECI: Basic 911 Communication Certification	Essential	National Emergency Communications Institute
NC: Sheriffs’ Telecommunicator Certification	Essential	NC Department of Justice
Paralegal Certification	Career	NC State Bar
NC: Basic Law Enforcement Certification	Career	NC Department of Justice
NC: Sheriffs’ Detention Officer Certification	Career	NC Department of Justice
Fire Fighter I & II	Career	NC Department of Insurance OSFM
Paramedic	Career	NC Office of Emergency Medical Services

Manufacturing

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
BioWork	Essential	NCBioNetwork
Aerospace Manufacturing and Repair Technician	Essential	Workforge
ETA Associate Certified Electronics Technician (CETa)	Essential	Electronics Technician Association
NIMS Machining Level I -Measurement, Materials, and Safety Certifications	Essential	National Institute for Metalworking Skills
NIMS Maintenance Operations	Essential	National Institute for Metalworking Skills
NIMS Job Planning, Benchmark, and Layout	Essential	National Institute for Metalworking Skills
NIMS Milling I	Essential	National Institute for Metalworking Skills
ASNT Ultrasonic Testing Level I/II	Essential	The American Society for Nondestructive Testing
Apprenticeship - Maintenance Mechanic	Career	ApprenticeshipNC
Certified Production Technician 4.0 (CPT 4.0)	Career	Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)
NC Furniture Academy	Career	NC Furniture Academy
MSI Manufacturing Technician Level I (MT1)	Career	Manufacturing Skills Institute
PMMI Mechatronics - Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) I	Career	Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies
PMMI Mechatronics - Industrial Electricity I	Career	Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies
ASNT Electromagnetic Testing Level I/II	Career	The American Society for Nondestructive Testing
ASNT Liquid Penetrant Level I/II	Career	The American Society for Nondestructive Testing

Marketing

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
NC: Real Estate License	Career	NC Real Estate Commission

Retail

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
RISE Up Business of Retail: Operations & Profit Certification	Essential	National Retail Federation

Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics

Credential	Level	Issuing Agency
Certified Logistics Technician	Essential	Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)
Escort Vehicle Operator	Essential	NCDOT Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107)	Essential	Federal Aviation Administration
ICAR Non-Structural Technician ProLevel I	Essential	Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair
NC Dealer License	Essential	NCDOT Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
ICAR Refinish Technician ProLevel I	Essential	Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair
EETC Principles of Small Engine Technology Certification	Essential	Equipment & Engine Training Council
USI Visual Line of Sight System Operations (VSO)	Essential	Unmanned Safety Institute
Aircraft Electronics Technician	Career	Aircraft Electronics Association
ASE - Auto Maintenance and Light Repair (Test G1)	Career	National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
ASE - Entry-Level Certification: Automobile	Career	National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
ASE - Entry-Level Certification: Collision Repair & Refinish	Career	National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
NC: Commercial Driver License (CDL)	Career	NCDOT Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
EETC Technician Certification	Career	Equipment & Engine Training Council
FAA Mechanic Certificate	Career	Federal Aviation Administration

List of Foundational Credentials

A Foundational Credential provides standard or baseline skillsets valued by employers, but not tied directly to occupations that lead to a family sustaining wage.