Competence vs. Certification for a Person
๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป — ๐๐’๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐
A wide
range of certification programs are now available for different sectors from
various industries. Given that one industry is unique from another, there are
several procedures followed by industry-specific needs, creating an
unstandardized process.
๐ Competence refers to a person’s ability to
apply knowledge, skills, and behaviors to perform a task successfully in a
real-world context. It’s more than just what someone knows - it's about how
well they can use that knowledge effectively. They might be no academic
certificate.
A
competence often includes three dimensions:
Knowledge (theoretical understanding)
Skills (practical abilities)
Attitudes
and behaviors (how a
person acts in a given real-world context)
✅ Example: A competent project manager doesn’t just know about project planning—they can lead a team, communicate clearly with stakeholders, manage risk, and adapt to challenges.
๐ค KPI
·
Focus: The actual real life or site
specific application of knowledge and skills to perform tasks
effectively.
·
Nature: A current state of capability,
assessed through performance.
·
Examples: The ability to solve problems,
make decisions, full fill the customer focus or adapt to new situations.
· Assessment: Involves practical examinations and observation to measure the ability to achieve desired results. Customer satisfaction system handover.
๐ A qualification or certification is a
formal recognition of learning or achievement which is granted by an
educational institution, professional body, or certifying authority after a
person completes a course, passes an exam, assessment or meets specific
criteria.
A qualification
or certification often includes two dimensions:
Knowledge (theoretical understanding)
Skills (theoretical & sometimes practical
lab abilities)
✅ Example: A degree in marketing, a Microsoft certification, or a teaching license are all qualifications. They prove that a person has completed a particular program or standard of learning.
๐ค KPI
·
Focus: Formal education, training, and
documented experience.
·
Nature: A historical fact or status.
·
Examples: A driving license, a college
degree, or certificates from training courses.
· Assessment: Based on credentials and proof of training.
In short:
๐น Qualifications tell us what someone has learned.
๐น Competences show us what someone can actually do.
Many skip the actual learning part, just to grab the certificate at the end. In current date AI is there to pass exam.
According
to ISO 19011, Guidelines for Auditing Management Systems, competence
is defined as “the ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended
results.” In practical terms, competence-based
certification requires candidates to demonstrate their abilities through
validated means - such as examinations, practical assessments, or performance
evaluations - covering not only knowledge, but also skills and behaviors
aligned with the certification’s scope.
On the other hand, qualification-based certification typically relies on reviewing the applicant’s education, course attendance, or prior training. It assumes that completion of training equals capability, with minimal or no independent verification of actual performance or ability.
๐
Consider the following simple yet illustrative exchange:
- "Do
you know how to drive a car?"
- "I’ve
taken lessons, and I have a license, but I’m still not confident behind the
wheel."
- "Then you have the qualifications, but not the competence."
๐ This brief dialogue captures a critical truth: Qualifications alone do not guarantee competence. History is filled with examples of individuals - college dropouts among them - who rose to executive leadership roles not because of their academic records, but because of their demonstrated competence.
๐ Similarities Between Competence and
Certification or Qualification
Despite
the differences, these two concepts are interconnected:
·
Qualifications
often serve as a foundation for building competences. For example, a person
with a qualification in data analysis likely has some competences in handling
data, interpreting results, or using analytical tools.
·
Both
are used in recruitment, promotion, and development decisions.
· In some fields (e.g., healthcare or engineering), certain qualifications are required to demonstrate competence in critical tasks.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) developed ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Conformity assessment – General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons which contains principles and requirements for a body certifying persons against specific requirements and includes the development and maintenance of a certification scheme for persons.
๐ Personnel Certification is a certificate issued by an
independent professional body that the proven qualifications and skills match
predefined training goals. It tests and certifies qualifications and
competences with a highly specialized team of examination designers and experts
in this field. The entire process is developed together with the organization,
with maximum reliability on professional experience and proximity to the
clients. The service is highly applicable to the following:
·
Companies
who place great importance on the excellent qualification of their staff in
order to deliver excellent service, advice, and support can be informed which
employees have met the required competency targets.
·
Associations
who want to offer an additional high quality qualification that particularly
recommends the member companies can be informed whether the participating staff
of the member companies has reached the target competence.
· Training providers with qualified experts who want to specialize further in order to be the best employee or freelance contractor in their field can have confidence in their own training and have their examination carried out by an independent third party.
๐ Key Differences in Personnel
Certification
·
What
They Prove:
Qualification
proves that a person has received training or possesses certain credentials,
whereas competence proves that a person can do something effectively.
·
Assessment
Methods:
Qualifications
are often verified by reviewing documents (e.g., diplomas, certificates), while
competence requires performance-based evaluations or practical tests to assess
how well someone applies their knowledge and skills.
·
Relationship:
While
having qualifications can contribute to competence, they don't guarantee
it. A person might be highly qualified but lack the practical competence
to perform a job successfully, or they may be highly competent without
extensive formal qualifications.
Now imagine the future: AI-driven hazard recognition systems that instantly flag risks, combined with human competent persons authorized to act. Or AI-assisted designs ensuring qualified persons make even more precise decisions.
The question is not whether AI will redefine “competence” and “qualification,” but how we, as safety leaders, will integrate these emerging tools without losing human judgment.
๐ Why the Distinction Matters
·
Workplace
Safety:
A
"qualified" person might design a system, but a "competent"
person is needed to recognize hazards and ensure safety in the actual work
environment.
·
Effective
Training:
Competency-based
programs focus on the results of training by assessing actual abilities,
leading to more targeted development and better-skilled employees.
·
Better
Hiring Decisions:
Distinguishing between competence and qualification helps employers make more accurate hiring and promotion decisions by assessing a candidate's practical abilities, not just their educational background.
๐ American National Standards Institute (ANSI) also has a definition for a competent person and another for a qualified person.
ANSI defines a competent person as “an individual designated by the employer to be responsible for the immediate supervision, implementation, and monitoring of the employer’s managed fall protection program who, through training and knowledge, is capable of identifying, evaluating, and addressing existing and potential fall hazards, and who has the employer’s authority to take prompt, corrective action with regards to such hazards.”
ANSI defines a qualified person as “a person with a recognized degree or professional certificate and with extensive knowledge, training, and experience in the fall protection and rescue field who is capable of designing, analyzing, evaluating, and specifying fall protection and rescue systems to the extent required by this standard.”
An agent’s low score might not mean incompetence, it could mean lack of clarity, wrong training, or unrealistic expectations.
In roughly 90% of cases, you’re simply not seen or heard.
Of course, it’s not foolproof, but it’s far more effective than Candidate A’s approach.
เคธिเคฐ्เคซ เคธเคซเคฒ (Successful) เคนोเคจे เคे เคชीเคे เคฎเคค เคญाเคो, เคฌเคฒ्เคि เคธเค्เคทเคฎ (Capable) เคฌเคจो, เคคाเคि เคธเคซเคฒเคคा เค
เคชเคจे เคเคช เคคुเคฎ्เคนाเคฐे เคชीเคे เคเค; เคถिเค्เคทा เคा เคฎเคเคธเคฆ เค्เคाเคจ เคเคฐ เคाเคฌिเคฒिเคฏเคค เคนाเคธिเคฒ เคเคฐเคจा เคนोเคจा เคाเคนिเค, เคจ เคि เคธिเคฐ्เคซ เคกिเค्เคฐी เคฏा เคฎाเคฐ्เค्เคธ เคชाเคจा, เค्เคฏोंเคि เคाเคฌिเคฒिเคฏเคค เคนी เค
เคธเคฒी เคธเคซเคฒเคคा เคी เคुंเคी เคนै เคเคฐ เคเคค्เคृเคท्เคเคคा (Excellence) เคा เคชीเคा เคเคฐเคจे เคธे เคाเคฎเคฏाเคฌी (Success) เค़เคฐूเคฐ เคฎिเคฒเคคी เคนै.
·
เคाเคฎเคฏाเคฌी (Success): เค
เค्เคธเคฐ เคฒोเค เคธिเคฐ्เคซ เคชैเคธा, เคชเคฆ เคฏा เค
เค्เคी เคจौเคเคฐी เคชाเคจे เคे เคฒिเค เคชเคข़เคคे เคนैं, เคिเคธे เคाเคฎเคฏाเคฌी เคเคนเคคे เคนैं, เคฒेเคिเคจ เคฏเคน เค
เคธ्เคฅाเคฏी เคนो เคธเคเคคी เคนै.
·
เคाเคฌिเคฒिเคฏเคค (Capability): เคाเคฌिเคฒ เคนोเคจे เคा
เคฎเคคเคฒเคฌ เคนै เคि เคเคชเคे เคชाเคธ เค्เคाเคจ, เคौเคถเคฒ เคเคฐ เคธเคฎเค เคนो, เคिเคธเคธे เคเคช เคिเคธी เคญी เคฎुเคถ्เคिเคฒ เคा เคธाเคฎเคจा เคเคฐ
เคธเคें เคเคฐ เคुเค เคจเคฏा เคฌเคจा เคธเคें
