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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 list for Foundational. 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 11/28/2022
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.
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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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
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 |
Apprenticeship - Carpentry | Career | ApprenticeshipNC |
Apprenticeship - HVAC Construction | Career | ApprenticeshipNC |
Apprenticeship - Plumbing | Career | ApprenticeshipNC |
Apprenticeship - Welding | Career | ApprenticeshipNC |
Apprenticeship - Cabinet Maker | Career | NC Department of Labor |
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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
Adobe Certified Professional | Career | Adobe Systems |
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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
Child Development Associate | Essential | Council for Professional Recognition |
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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
Cosmetologist | Essential | NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners |
NC: Early Childhood Credential (NCECC) Equivalency | Essential | NC Division of Child Development |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
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 |
BioWork | Essential | NCBioNetwork |
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 |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
NC: Real Estate License | Career | NC Real Estate Commission |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
RISE Up Business of Retail: Operations & Profit Certification | Essential | National Retail Federation |
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.
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Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) Food Safety & Science Certification | Foundational | The American Meat Science Association |
The Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification | Foundational | Elanco |
The Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications Certification | Foundational | Elanco |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
Front Desk Representative (CFDR) | Foundational | American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute |
RISE Up Retail Industry Fundamentals Certificate | Foundational | National Retail Federation |
ServSafe Food Handler | Foundational | National Restaurant Association |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
RISE Up Customer Service & Sales Certification | Foundational | National Retail Federation |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
ACMA Certified Composite Technician | Foundational | ACMA American Composites Manufacturing Association |
BCCC Industrial Sewing & Upholstery Academy | Foundational | Beaufort County Community College |
Credential | Level | Issuing Agency |
RISE Up Warehouse, Inventory, and Logistics Certification | Foundational | National Retail Federation |