Georgia School of Construction

WHAT DOES CERTIFICATION MEAN?
Certification does not refer to the state of legally being able to practice or work in a profession or to operate heavy equipment. That is licensure. Usually, licensure is administered by a governmental entity for public protection purposes and certification by a professional association. However, they are similar in that they both require the demonstration of a certain level of knowledge or ability. Georgia School of Construction (GSC), uses a certification tool provided by the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schols, (NAHETS). NAHETS member schools have an assessment tool available which is designed to ensure that each graduate has been measured for successful completion of skill and knowledge. Note, GSC cannot guarantee that students graduate from their training program; in fact, students on a regular basis fail to meet graduation requirements.

Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, or assessment. One of the most common types of certification in modern society is professional certification, where a person is certified as being able to competently complete a job or task, usually by the passing of an examination. Hence, NAHETS member schools utilize different certifications for graduates, which may include one of the following:

There are two general types of professional certification: some are valid for lifetime, once the exam is passed. Others have to be re certified again after a certain period of time. As a heavy equipment operator your ability to find employment is not necessarily directly related to a certification. Some employers may require certification for insurance purposes, etc..; however, generally heavy equipment operators are not required to possess a certification as a condition of their employment as a heavy equipment operator. Also, certifications can differ within a profession by the level or specific area of expertise they refer to. For example, the heavy equipment industry lacks any national standard certification and/or licensure; although there is standardized published training curriculum and certification offered at schools and other organizations nationwide including NAHETS member schools.

National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools

National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) and will prepare candidates for the CCO certification tests.

Usually, licensure is administered by a governmental entity for public protection purposes and certification by a professional association. Your campus is licensed by their respective State licensing agency which monitors private post secondary schools with the State boundaries. License to operate heavy equipment is non-existent. Virtually licensing for heavy equipment operators is non-existent in the United States; however, may crane operator licensing is now becoming required in numerous areas of the countries, including many states and other municipalities. Listed below you will find the name of your campuses State licensing body.

- Georgia Nonpublic Post secondary Education Commission

To sponsor something is to support an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. A sponsor is the individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor.

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools, LLC is a limited liability company registered in the state of Nevada. Common ownership of NAHETS and NAHETS member schools owned and operated by ATS-USA, LLC are as follows:

It has been understood, from inception, that membership in NAHETS may consist exclusively of schools owned by ATS-USA, LLC due to:

- Note: Your campus is not required to be accredited by any state in order to certify you as an equipment operator. Additionally, we are not aware of any employer that will require accredited institutional training in heavy equipment operations as a pre requisite to employment. Additionally, the heavy equipment operator industry does not require operators to complete a program that is accredited. However, certification may be required and therefore, your school has elected to not pursue accreditation.

Accreditation is a process in which is certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented. Generally, organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies (such as the American Bar Association(ABA) for Lawyers, and the American Medical Association(AMA) for physicians; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited certification bodies". The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable, typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, and employ suitable quality assurance.

Unfortunately for heavy equipment operators their is no national accreditation body for heavy equipment operators. Perhaps this is a result from the lack of a national and/or state licensing requirement. Regardless, accreditation does exist for institutions that desire to seek it. Should the facility meet the accrediting agency's standards, the facility receives accredited status from the accrediting agency. In most countries in the world, the function of accreditation for educational institutions is conducted by a government ministry of education. In the United States, however, educational accreditation is performed by private nonprofit membership associations.

A series of questions follows to help determine whether a provider is a diploma mill. In each case, if, for example, the answers to a majority of the questions below are "yes," students and the public should take this as highly suggestive that they may be dealing with a mill. In this circumstance, students and the public may be best served by looking for alternatives for higher education and quality assurance.

There are two basic types of educational accreditation, one identified as "institutional" and one referred to as "specialized" or "programmatic."

Institutional accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of an institution's parts is contributing to the achievement of the institution's objectives, although not necessarily all at the same level of quality. The various commissions of the regional accrediting associations, for example, perform institutional accreditation, as do many national accrediting agencies.

Specialized or programmatic accreditation normally applies to programs, departments, or schools that are parts of an institution. The accredited unit may be as large as a college or school within a university or as small as a curriculum within a discipline. Most of the specialized or programmatic accrediting agencies review units within an institution of higher education that is accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions. However, certain accrediting agencies also accredit professional schools and other specialized or vocational institutions of higher education that are free-standing in their operations. Thus, a "specialized " or "programmatic " accrediting agency may also function in the capacity of an "institutional " accrediting agency. In addition, a number of specialized accrediting agencies accredit educational programs within non-educational settings, such as hospitals.

Note: The U.S. Department of Education does not have the authority to accredit private or public elementary or secondary schools, and the Department does not recognize accrediting bodies for the accreditation of private or public elementary and secondary schools. However, the U.S. Department of Education does recognize accrediting bodies for the accreditation of institutions of higher (postsecondary) education. If an accrediting body which is recognized by the Department for higher education also accredits elementary and secondary schools, the Department's recognition applies only to the agency's accreditation of postsecondary institutions.
Accreditation does not provide automatic acceptance by an institution of credit earned at another institution, nor does it give assurance of acceptance of graduates by employers. Acceptance of students or graduates is always the prerogative of the receiving institution or employer. For these reasons, besides ascertaining the accredited status of a school or program, students should take additional measures to determine, prior to enrollment, whether or not their educational goals will be met through attendance at a particular institution. These measures should include inquiries to institutions to which transfer might be desired or to prospective employers and, if possible, personal inspection of the institution at which enrollment is contemplated.

The national accreditors get their name from their common policy of accrediting schools nationwide or even worldwide. Requirements for accreditation vary from each national accreditor according to the specialty. In general terms, the national accreditors accredit post-secondary programs that are vocational, technical and career in nature. Some of these programs offer degrees and some only certificates. Five of these bodies are listed by the Department of Education as general in nature and national in scope. These are