The Impact of training processes on profesional competitiveness: ISO/IEC 17024 standard

Abstract

Training programs offered in educational institutions seek to respond tooccupational, economic, and development needs of the territories, through
competency-based curricula, aiming to train competent, highly qualified, proactive professionals capable of facing emerging challenges in a world mediated by technologies that promote the increase of competitiveness indicators, improving living
conditions and employment opportunities. It is therefore imperative to ensure that graduates have the ability to use the knowledge, skills, and know-how that have been acquired or developed during their training.
The ISO/IEC 17024 standard, ‘Conformity
assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons,’describes the
requirements for the
certification of professionals, based on a
certification scheme that, in turn, references labor competence standards. This standard becomes an opportunity for improvement that complements educational processes. A case study is presented, conducted with
professionals from the Energy Efficiency sector
in the capitals of El Salvador and Panama (32 and 30 participants respectively), demonstrating a positive impact on their competitiveness following the development of training units.