U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsYes. The new system assigns a typical entry level education, while the prior system assigned “the most significant source” of education or training. Some occupations will have a different education level assigned than they did previously.
We originally proposed adding a licensing category. As we further tested and refined the licensing category, we faced problems in a few areas, such as how to capture occupations where a subset requires licensure either in all states or some states. An additional issue is that states also regulate occupations through less-restrictive forms known as registration and statutory certification—in which a state grants “title” protection to an individual with a certification, and sometimes these forms of regulation are referred to as “licenses.” BLS staff plans to further research this issue in the coming year. Please note that licensing requirements for occupations are fully discussed in the narratives of the occupational profiles in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
We studied certification as a possible category to include in the classification system. We found that certification does not fit into the overall concept of this system, which is to provide information on what is needed to enter and to attain competency in an occupation. Certification is always voluntary and is a recognition provided by a non-governmental body. It can demonstrate competence in occupation-specific skills, job-specific skills, or advanced practice skills. Therefore, certification is generally obtained for purposes of advancement within an occupation, either to a higher level or to move to an area of specialization.
In addition, the term “certification” is often confused with academic certificates received from postsecondary institutions. For these reasons, certification is not included in the education and training classification system. Certification, however, is discussed in the narratives of occupational profiles in the Occupational Outlook Handbook if it is important for the occupation.
Yes, some occupations have more than one way to enter. The assignments under the new system describe the typical education needed to enter, and the typical type of on-the-job training required to be competent. The work experience in a related occupation assignment represents what is commonly considered necessary by employers or is a commonly accepted substitute for formal training. The three assignments complement each other in that they would represent a typical “path of entry” into the occupation, but they are not necessarily equal in importance for entry into the occupation.
BLS published the education and training assignments for each occupation at www.bls.gov/emp in December 2011. The Fall 2011 issue of Occupational Outlook Quarterly contains an article on the new system. These reports do not have projections data associated with the assignments, however. The occupational projections for 2010-2020, released on February 1, 2012, provide employment and job outlook information for each occupation along with the education and training assignments, as well as data on the educational attainment of workers in each occupation.
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Last Modified Date: February 1, 2012
