The Most Popular Ergonomics Certificates and Certification Courses

Nowadays its critical employers focus on employee health, safety, and well-being more than ever. The cultural shift to ensure employees are working well has never been a higher priority. To that end, the science of ergonomics is proven to help promote better performance, health, and well-being for employees, making a positive impact on organizations. But who is your organization's designated ergonomics specialist? And are they certified to perform at the level you need them to? 

If you don't have a qualified internal or consulting certified ergonomics specialist to perform essential ergonomic assessments on healthy employees working onsite, remote, or hybrid, or on the shop floor, then you are missing out. The role of the certified ergonomics specialist is essential to support your organization with critical decisions influenced by good ergonomics. Without one, you have a serious gap in knowledge, skills, and resources limiting your ability to make gains in reducing injuries and improving wellness. 

Ergonomics Credentials are Part of a Career Growth Path

In the effort to attract and retain talent, offering the right employee a chance to up level their career while supporting your organization is an exceptional strategy. Training managers, Learning and Development managers would be wise to recognize ergonomics as a growing career path for employees. 

Learning how to perform office ergonomic evaluations on healthy individuals is not only good for the individual but the organization. But before you enroll them or yourself, learn about the most popular ergonomics certifications and certificates in the ergonomics training marketplace. 

The Difference between Certificate and Certification: 

There is a distinction between the terms certificate versus certification. The Institute for Credentialing Excellence defines this clearly. 

A certification program is designed to test the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a particular job, and, upon successfully passing a certification exam, to represent a declaration of a particular individual’s professional competence. In some professions, certification is a requirement for employment or practice.

In contrast to certification, an assessment-based certificate program is an educational or training program that is used to teach learning objectives and assess whether the student achieved those objectives.

The Hierarchy of Certificates, Certifications, and What they Mean

Becoming certified is evidence of a minimum level of professional competence, but demonstrating the necessary competence has significant variability depending on the credential selected, the course content, the instructor's qualifications, experience, and skills, and the student's background. While certification is important to advance the credibility of a profession, employers and prospective students should be mindful of what each course and credential brings.

For clarity, the hierarchical model of certificates and certifications in the ergonomics training marketplace shows the transition from for-profit, private-business certificates to national non-profit board certifications. To classify the credentials, it's best to think of them as Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior and Master class or least experience to most experience. 

The private-business courses are open to anyone who is interested and pays the entrance fee. While it's helpful to have a background in safety, health, wellness, rehabilitation, or similar training, typically no experience or degree is required. 

Certificates are earned by attending a one- or two-day workshop or completing 8-32 hours, live or online to achieve a minimum level of acceptable testing and reporting. Many courses offer further validation of the course value by a third-party review and approval.

Whereas, the Certification boards typically require a relevant degree (Bachelors), a minimum of years of experience, proof of ergonomics project work,  a letter of recommendation, and passing an extensive examination before earning the coveted credential of a CPE or other (USA). 

The Freshman Class (Least Experience)

These programs offer entry level certificates, are broad-based, and foundational, like freshman in high school. As examples, the CEAS I, CEES, CBES, and COEE are considered entry level courses providing general information about the science of ergonomics and how to use OSHA checklists, RULA, REBA and NIOSH formulas. The instructor may or may not be a CPE credentialed professional, or may possess alternative degrees in physical or occupational therapy, or chiropractic care and often include a more "therapeutic approach."

The Sophomore Class

The Sophmore class adds more class time and more practice using free open source tools. Training requires demonstration of at least one office and one industrial evaluation using OSHA quantifiable tools such as RULA, REBA, NIOSH and others. The training may also include how to write a client report with these tools. Additional training may be offered in the "business" of ergonomics.  Instructors may or may not be CPE credentialed. Students earn an advanced credential signified by a II, or a III. 

The Junior Class

The junior class or intermediate level is the online programs offered by Worksite International Ergonomics Training Academy (WIETA). While no experience is needed, some is helpful (freshman or sophmore credential). Candidates earn an advanced certificate in office ergonomics, chair science, or remote ergonomics (must possess a freshman or sophmore level credential).  These courses are deep in breadth and wide in scope offering exceptional learning on foundational principals in MSD prevention, anthropometrics, objective assessment methodologies, professional report writing, and prescriptive recommendation application.

Students learn the theory of macroergonomics and are challenged to develop their organization's ergonomics evaluation process. The course includes all the essential forms and tools (Worksite International System of Ergonomic Evaluations or WISEE), including exclusive software to track each evaluation from start to finish, leading indicator metrics, costs reports, and the ROI of the company ergonomics process. 

There are three specialist designations available: Certified Office Ergonomics Specialist or COESp, Chair Assessment Specialist or CASp, Certified Remote Ergonomics Specialist or CRESp.

The WIETA offers extensive coaching and mentoring with a PT, CPE, along with a review of all assignments required to demonstrate learning and integration of course content over time. With guided practice through to course completion, the student demonstrates a clear transformation in achieving the course objectives.

The Senior Class

The Senior level is categorized by possessing the experience to sit for an exam and already possess the educational background as typically training is not offered as part of the credential process.  This certification category earns a CIE, AEP, and CAE. These are awarded by a non-profit board where candidates must submit college transcripts, possess a Bachelor's degree or greater and demonstrate at least one to five years of practical experience. Candidates must sit for a certificate exam and score a minimum requirement to earn the credential. This level includes peer review of work samples, and passing a comprehensive exam for board approval.  

The Master Class (Most Experience)

Selecting a CPE assures employers and consumers they are working with a professional who has met the most rigorous standards available. In particular, the BCPE requires applicants to possess an advanced degree in a related field such as engineering, human factors, industrial psychology, or physical therapy. The CPE certification process requires far more breadth and depth than all the others, along with years of experience, and a solid demonstration of many complex ergonomics and human factors theories and practices. 

The Most Popular Ergonomic Certificate and Certification Programs

The table below lists the most popular certificate and certification programs available in the ergonomics training market today. It is not an all-inclusive list (excludes university degrees and human factors programs). Each program listed offers varying lengths of training, testing, and submission of work to demonstrate competency to become certified. Ergonomics is an applied science, so people with degrees in healthcare, engineering, psychology, and other non-degreed backgrounds can be certified. By far the most respected and highest level of certification achievable in ergonomics is awarded by the Board of Certified Professional Ergonomists (BCPE) 

Worksite International's Ergonomics Training Academy

Worksite International’s Ergonomics Training Academy (WIETA est. 2019) offers a professional certificate pathway that dives deep into office ergonomics. Students learn a macro and micro approach focused on leadership, office, chairs, and remote evaluation skills. The courses in the WIETA are designed by an  Ergonomics Program Education Specialists and Board-Certified Professional Ergonomists trained in the Course Design Formula by Rebecca Cuevas.

The Director of the Academy and Lead Course instructor is Alison Heller-Ono PT, MSPT, CPE, a highly trained, experienced ergonomics business consultant, certified professional ergonomist, and physical therapist with three decades of teaching, coaching, and mentoring students in office ergonomics and beyond.  

A Cornerstone of Guided Practice Leading to Independent Performance

The WI Ergonomics Training Academy offers participants guided practice leading to independent performance. Students learn basic office ergonomics theory, methodology, practice, and skills to conduct an evidenced-based, accurate office ergonomics evaluation. All students are taught to use one of three Ergonomics Evaluation Systems, all peer-reviewed and validated systems aligned with the primary objective of each course-organizational ergonomics leadership, office ergonomics, chair ergonomics and remote ergonomics. Enrollment includes a license to use these systems upon earning a certificate and robust tracking software, Ergo-Case Tracker. 

One: One Coaching and Mentoring is Essential for Success

All students move through the online courses at their own pace, building on knowledge and practice ending with a final exam, and submission of several evaluations to demonstrate competency. Each student participates in one: one coaching and mentorship at various milestones receiving over 16 hours of support along the course pathway until earning their course credential demonstrating competency upon completing all requirements. As an added benefit, students are part of a growing community in the WINetwork Membership program offering ongoing ergonomics continuing education outside the scope of the courses.  

If you'd like to learn more about ergonomic certificates, certifications, and credentials, and the WI Ergonomics Training Academy professional courses, contact us for an exploratory course coaching consultation.  

Plan to attend our academy open house on June 12, 2024 at 11:00am -11:45am PST. Register to attend or receive the recording of the session. 

Note: This blog does not cover college and university courses or degrees offered in HFE. The views expressed are that of the author, and garnered through feedback from peers regarding the differences in courses offered within the ergonomics training marketplace. Opinions and questions are welcome.