Critical Career Skills
Critical Career Skills Program
Critical Career Skills
A Path to Workforce Readiness
To keep pace with the rapidly changing job market, we've updated our curriculum to align with the needs of today’s learners. Our new Critical Career Skills (CCS) program builds on the previous Communication Skills for Business (CSB) offering. It expands our core communication training while boosting overall career readiness and employability. We've also introduced a Generative AI Foundations exam to reflect emerging workplace technologies.Why Critical Career Skills?
This Critical Career Skills shift aims to prepare learners across various fields with versatile, in-demand skills. By focusing on cross-industry competencies, we're ensuring that both student learners and professionals are well-equipped to meet the diverse needs of today’s employers1. This integration of diverse skill sets under one umbrella allows for a more holistic approach to workforce readiness and professional development, making the Critical Career Skills program a comprehensive solution for those looking to excel in their careers.
Certiport offers the following certifications within the CCS program:
Generative AI Foundations
The Generative AI Foundations exam positions learners at the cutting edge of a rapidly emerging field. It provides a solid grounding in generative AI, enhancing their ability to adapt in a tech-driven job market, and gives them a competitive edge with employers.
Professional Communication
The Professional Communication certification trains on the communication skills employers consistently rank as top priorities. Once learners master these skills, they’re workplace ready—able to perform effectively in diverse professional environments and navigate career challenges with confidence.
الشريك
Becoming Proficient in the Age of AI
This certification exam validates that the candidate has a fundamental understanding of generative AI, its applications in both personal and professional contexts, and the responsible and ethical management of this technology. It also establishes a foundational skill set that candidates can build upon in the future.
Learn the Essentials of AI Literacy
The exam is brand-agnostic and will cover:
- Methods and methodologies of generative AI Explore the distinctions between Generative and other types of AI, including search engines. Learn the basics of producing outputs, selecting appropriate tools for specific tasks and recognizing the limitations of Generative AI.
- Basics of prompt engineering Delve into the fundamentals of prompt engineering, learning to craft effective prompts for text generation, content transformation, and developing skills for image and video creation.
- Prompt refinement Take a deeper look into advanced prompting techniques, including levels of specificity, context, persona creation and reverse prompting strategies.
- Ethical, societal and legal impacts Examine common biases, legal aspects of intellectual property rights, data privacy concerns and the overall risks and impacts of Generative AI on society.
Candidates are expected to have 150 hours of a combination of instruction and hands-on experience working with Generative AI tools. They should be familiar with productivity applications, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Docs.
The proficiency level expected for the exam can be attained through learning and practice tests. This level of knowledge required to pass the exam is outlined in the Exam Objectives. The Exam Objectives are the basis for all the learning materials, practice tests, and certification exams.
Want to try a demo version of one of the Generative AI Foundations exams? Click on the link below:
Generative AI Foundations
Additional Resources
Exam details
Professional Communication Exam
The Critical Career Skills (CCS) Professional Communication exam validates that candidates entering the workforce understand key communication principles and skills that are necessary to be effective in a work environment. While the key skill being measured is communication, the nature of this exam will also help students with the other 3 of “the 4 C’s”:
- Critical Thinking – which will happen as they think through how to effectively communicate
- Collaboration – which will stem from effectively communicating with others
- Creativity – which is required to present appealing communications
Why should job candidates seek a Professional Communication Certification?
Poor communication is very expensive for companies. Studies have been done that estimate businesses with 100 employees lose an average of $420,000 per year due to poor communication between employees. The cost goes up based on the number of employees.2
The Professional Communication certifications give job candidates the proof they understand good communication and have the skills needed to be effective and efficient in their jobs, while saving the company money by not communicating poorly.
About the Professional Communication Certification
The CCS Professional Communication exam is a box exam with innovative selected response options. The core concepts include professional communication skills; effective verbal, nonverbal and listening skills; creating business deliverables; effectively delivering a message; receiving communications; and analyzing communication scenarios. When a question deals with visual communications, there are corresponding visuals to illustrate. Same for written communications.
It is a 50-minute exam with approximately 40-45 questions. An individual preparing to take this exam should have approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience in formal communication theory and practice.
The proficiency level expected for the exam can be attained through learning and practice tests. This level of knowledge required to pass the exam is outlined in the Exam Objectives. The Exam Objectives are the basis for all the learning materials, practice tests, and certification exams.