Washington, DC, Nov. 4, 2013 – After completing a rigorous, two-year application process, the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA’s) Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) program officially received accreditation on Oct. 28, 2013, from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an independent body that developed the standards for professional credentialing programs.
NCCA-accredited programs certify individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations. NCCA has accredited approximately 300 programs, including the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, and the Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) designation. In addition there are many medical programs that are certified, such as those from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Medical Technologists, Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and more.
For current CAMs, anyone considering the CAM credential and employers, NCCA accreditation demonstrates that the credential is a valid measure of readiness to be an aviation manager. The CAM program is the first in the aviation industry to receive this accreditation credential.
Launched in 2001, with the first exam offered on Oct. 6, 2003, the CAM program identifies qualified professionals to lead flight departments and companies that use business aircraft. Through certification, these individuals demonstrate their level of expertise and commitment to the aviation industry, and are tested in five subject areas: leadership, human resources, operations, technical and facilities services, and business management.
To complete the accrediting application process, the CAM Governing Board had to create more than 700 pages of documentation on meeting 21 NCCA standards.
"We commend the work of the CAM Governing Board in reaching this major milestone for the program," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "NBAA and the business aviation community acknowledge CAMs as professionals who have demonstrated an exemplary level of industry knowledge and management skills, and this accreditation serves to underscore their outstanding achievements and leadership potential."
Accreditation of a credentialing program by the NCCA demonstrates to the profession it represents, as well as to the general public, that the program has been reviewed by a panel of impartial experts and found to comply with the rigorous NCCA standards. Those standards cover: the autonomy of the credential’s governing body; fair and transparent policies and procedures; a process for exam development, implementation, delivery and maintenance that is psychometrically sound (psychometrics is the science of testing); and ongoing recertification requirements.
To earn the NCCA’s approval, the CAM Governing Board thoroughly reviewed the program and made many improvements, including updating the CAM application and bylaws and developing new resources like the CAM Candidate Information Handbook, first released in early 2013. All of the CAM policies and procedures were evaluated, including what types of courses count for CAM credit, the requirements for recertification and many other aspects of the program.
“We added value to the CAM program by earning NCCA accreditation,” said CAM Governing Board Chair Scott Rose. “Meeting the NCCA standard validates the work of NBAA and CAM to raise the standard of professionalism within our industry.”
The NCCA has accredited the CAM program for a five-year period through Oct. 31, 2018. To ensure a professional credential remains relevant and current, its accreditation must be renewed every five years, and the program must submit an annual report, including all of its testing data.
“Not just professionals, but also the people who employ them, can be confident they’ve been tested in a thorough way, and therefore, have the required expertise to do the job,” said Anjali Weber, director of accreditation services for the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE), of which NCCA is the accrediting division.
For more information, contact NBAA at [email protected], or learn more about the CAM program at www.nbaa.org/cam.
