Global developments in competencies & certification

Determining standards for a competent workforce is an involved process which can be affected by societal changes and policy systems of the country or geographic area. In the U.S., the voluntary Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential as conferred by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) has been in existence since 1989 and an advanced-level certification, the Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) was added in 2011. Since 2010, the South Korean government endorsed a certification examination, the Korean Certified Health Education Specialist Association examination. In the UK, the UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) has recently completed an extensive two year review of the specialty training curriculum for public health in the UK, completion of which leads to inclusion on one of the specialist registers for public health in the UK and eligibility to apply for senior public health posts. The Australian Health Promotion Association has currently set up a working sub-committee to develop guidelines on accreditation for Australia. The sub-committee is currently investigating international accreditation standards and the implementation of these in the Australian context. Collectively, the lessons learned from various competency development, certification and accreditation approaches across the globe can influence future efforts to ensure a competent global health education/promotion workforce