When it comes to what we call the “E’s of eligibility,” your applicants might end up at the same place — the certification exam — via multiple paths.
Multiple eligibility paths qualify applicants for their exam via different combinations of eligibility factors (usually education and experience). There are a couple of reasons why an organization might want to offer multiple eligibility paths for initial certification:
- They help organizations cast a wider net for certificants from diverse, even unconventional backgrounds, which can have a positive impact on the quality of professional practice.
- They may also help organizations bring more early-career professionals into a given occupation, which is also to that occupation’s benefit.
Of course, at the end of the day, you need a system that supports multiple eligibility paths in order to offer them. That’s where LearningBuilder comes in.
The Challenges Associated with Multiple Eligibility Paths
Multiple eligibility paths require complex logic. You will likely have a lot of “if this, then that” statements in your handbook rules. For example:
- If an applicant has two (2) years of experience, they also need a four (4)-year degree.
- If an applicant has three (3) years of experience, you might only require a two (2)-year degree.
- Some paths may include an assessment-based certificate, which provides more structured career pathing with a formal assessment.
You may measure your experience in hours, not years. You may accept education based on the degree rather than the years spent in the program. Perhaps your international applicants have additional criteria to meet. No matter your unique rules, your system must be able to handle and enforce all of these variations and conditions. At the same time, the application process should be easy for practitioners to navigate and efficient for staff to manage.
Not only do you need a system that can handle different eligibility rules, but you also need one that allows the applicant to easily switch paths should their circumstances change. What happens when their life circumstances change? If they need to switch paths, not all programs can accommodate them without a heavy-duty lift on the back end. Can yours?
LearningBuilder Was Designed with Your Certification Program in Mind
Just because your rules are complex doesn’t mean using your software should be. As your technology partner, we help you to meet your applicants where they are and get them to their exams. We make it easy for them to clarify their eligibility options and next steps. Should circumstances change, they can switch to a pathway that better fits their professional trajectory. Meanwhile, on the back end, LearningBuilder’s Rules Engine consistently enforces your eligibility paths. We’ll design workflows to collect different data, like education and work experience, for all your eligibility paths and their unique and shared requirements. In LearningBuilder, applicants can change paths over time if needed, all within the system.
Ready to learn more? Schedule a discovery call to see if we’re your next technology partner.
