Certificate Service

Certification of individuals

The ACPA awards each individual who has completed a certified course with the Certificate. The Certificate proves that the awardee has acquired the skills provided by the certified course. Trainees need to sign up for an ACPA Mate beforehand to receive certification.

Levels and certification procedures

Practical business abilities are considered a combination of technical knowledge, skills and experience, and required abilities vary depending on the level determined by the age and length of service of each worker.

The definition of each level is as shown below. These definitions have been determined on the basis of the IT Skill Standard (ITSS) established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan.

1. Entry level	Capable of performing the given duties under the guidance of a person(s) at a higher level of the same occupational category, or by utilizing own skills, as well as identifying and solving problems associated with the duties. Main target individuals: University juniors and seniors, postgraduates, new workers in their first few years of service, etc.
2. Intermediate level	Capable of performing the given duties of the occupational category without assistance from others. In addition, capable of giving guidance to personnel at the entry level, and playing a leading role in technological, methodological and business operational aspects within the company and for a particular project. Main target individuals: Workers in mid-career
3. Advanced level	Capable-as the manager of the occupational category-of leading technological development and commercialization, and playing an important role in formulating a strategy. Main target individuals: High-achievers who possess advanced expertise and fully use it to lead the business.

The entry level is further divided into the following three levels of occupational specialty.

1. Entry level
Level 0	Preparation stage prior to employment. Those who will begin to work soon (who have received naitei or an informal job offer) or whose occupational category has changed to the IT field should belong to this level.
Level 1	The level applicable to workers in their first year of service. Professional skills are not established, and technical knowledge is limited. Workers need to build up expertise through practice. Workers at this level are actually capable of performing certain assignments (relatively simple routine jobs) of the occupational category under the close guidance of a superior(s). Workers at this level should have experience of being involved in at least one project, and performing some operations of the project under the guidance of a superior(s).
Level 2	The level applicable to workers in their first few years of service. Workers need to build up practical experience based on technical knowledge, and acquire higher expertise for their field. Workers at this level are actually capable of performing simple routine jobs by themselves according to documents under the general guidance of a superior(s). Workers at this level should have experience of being involved in at least two projects, and performing overall operations of a small-scale project under the guidance of a superior(s).

The following diagrams show the description and certification principle of each level.

Certification of individuals: Description of each level

Certification procedure of each level

Certificate

The ACPA issues a Certificate to those who have completed an ACPA-certified course or who have passed an ACPA-certified qualification examination. To receive a Certificate, a trainee of a certified course, for example, needs to obtain a diploma issued by the course-executing institution and apply to the ACPA for certification. The ACPA then makes an assessment, and if certification is granted, issues a Certificate.

A Certificate is issued for each skill (small subcategory of skills) or skill set (a set of several skill items required for a particular occupational category) acquired.

Trainees awarded with certification are considered to have been proved by a neutral organization (ACPA) as possessing particular skills. They can then use the certification when looking for a job or reporting to their company about their improved skills as proof of their practical abilities.