Understanding The Benefits of CEUs

By: Justin Ferriman • October 24, 2014
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thumbs-upMany occupations require continuing education so as to help people keep abreast of updates, and the latest information in their fields.

Continuing education units have been established to verify that a person has completed the required program to get their professional certificates, which in turn allow them to continue practicing. CEUs provide a good way of measuring a person’s participation in a continuing education program. This information is then reported to their employers.

Professionals can use CEUs to improve their skills and to stay current with new technology, laws, and regulations that might apply to their field. Even if your particular line of work doesn’t require you to attend a continuing education course, doing so voluntarily is a good way to demonstrate your commitment – and to improve at your job.

Standards have been set for CEUs to make sure that all the necessary standards are met. Depending on the particular profession, a required number of CEUs will be needed to get a certificate or a license. In some professions, you cannot continue to practice without proof that you have completed the required training. For example, within the healthcare industry.

Standards for CEUs

The IACET, or International Association of Continuing Education and Training, has established the criteria for CEUs to make standard procedures for issuing these credits.

Any business, organization or academic institution must be willing to meet these standards in order to give out verified CEUs. Most CEUs are not eligible for college credit, but are instead only used to measure non-credit courses that apply to a particular industry or profession.

How CEUs Are Awarded

In a continuing ed program, one CEU is equivalent to 10 contact hours. Contact hours means that you have participated in an approved continuing education program. Various professions require different numbers of hours to complete your certification. Nurses, lawyers, educators, real estate agents, insurance agents, CPAs and engineers are just a few of the professions that require participation in continuing education programs.

Many manufacturing jobs also have certification standards because of constantly changing technology. While some may require in person attendance for their certificate programs, some fields allow for online learning. Depending on your career choice, the benefits of CEUs can help make sure you remain qualified in your field.

If you are curious if your profession has online CEUs, a simple Google search will yield your possible options. ELearning is a fantastic way to earn additional CEUs as it can be done from the convenience of your home, and on your preferred schedule.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter