CERTIFICATION
ACF Certification Adds Value in a Troubled Economy
Askew
As you know, the state of affairs of our
great country is a major concern for
everyone, whether employed or not, a
small business or a large one. Let’s look
at some hard facts: Unemployment is
high, available employment opportunities
are for those more qualified, not less, and
the job market is extremely competitive.
In recent years, being better, faster and
smarter has not been a recommendation,
but a requirement, for career growth.
Companies today have increased
standard requirements to distinguish
candidates for employment. Need proof?
Consider companies that are industry
leaders. Microsoft did a study among
hiring managers in specific fields and
found that 63% of them believe certified
individuals are more productive than
their noncertified counterparts. They also
found that 66% of managers believe
certifications improve the level of service
and support offered to customers. These
are some convincing numbers pointing
not to a short-term trend, but to a way of
doing business starting now and going
into the future.
Education alone will no longer represent
the employee with the “total package.”
Certification is slowly becoming a
standard in industry segments as a way
of getting back on financial track and
staying there.
Certification is an objective, measurable
way of determining a person’s
competency, and attests to the
achievement of specialty knowledge
beyond basic preparation. It benefits you,
your customers and your employers. This
will be a method of assessing people
regarding their ability to make profit
(not just revenue) and increase demand
through consistency and the quality of
the product. Search any Web engine, and
you will see a skyrocketing increase in
the number of certification programs in a
vast number of fields.
Is certification a good investment of
time and resources? It is a reasonable
assumption that earning certification has
a basic cost. It would be fair to compare
that investment to buying a piece of
machinery for a business. The purpose
of the purchase is that the machine will
make the company run better, reduce
the work load for everyone and save
time. These may be somewhat intangible
benefits, but they will show up in better
operation and reduced business costs. In
other words, certification is an investment
that has a predictable return. It has real
and lasting benefits that may be hard
to measure but can be seen as a boost
to an individual’s performance and a
company’s overall profitability.
ACF provides multiple levels of
certification that represent a standard
in the culinary industry. With thousands
of chefs competing in the job market,
it is essential to prove your culinary
competency. Certification through ACF
demonstrates skill, knowledge and
professionalism, and is respected as
a culinary-industry standard. Everyone
employed or considering an employment
opportunity in culinary arts should look
at certification as a way to increase the
odds of advancing and building traction
for total career growth. Stay ahead of the
competition and be more equipped to
increase profits for your organization with
ACF certification, a professional standard
of excellence.
Alex Askew is president of BCA,
Brooklyn, N. Y., and a member of the ACF
Certification Commission.
