Educational Opportunities Abound for ACORD Members

The more you know, the more attractive your resume becomes to current and future employers.  Having an ACORD Certified Expert (ACE) designation is extremely appealing throughout the industry.  ACORD now has over 100 ACEs worldwide, spanning every standards program. That number continues to grow.

The ACE certification consists of three comprehensive tests on ACORD history, governance and process; implementation; and, insurance knowledge.  An ACE on your resume proves that you have a thorough understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to implement ACORD Standards.  It is as important for employers as it is for job seekers.

 “Just look at any employment website and you will see countless resumes claiming to have ACORD expertise.  Now we have a benchmark for what that means.  Our ACEs are able to identify projects within their company that are relevant to ACORD and where they should be using ACORD Standards,” says Beth Grossman, Chief Learning Officer.

ACEs that have their designation say that the rewards are endless.  “It was beneficial to take the courses and brush up on the areas where I may not have been an expert.  You can then bring that knowledge back to your company and share it with others and encourage them to learn what ACORD does and what ACORD can do to expand our knowledge,” says Kathleen Beaulieu, ACE, MMG Insurance.

“The great thing about the ACE process is that it exposes you to different parts of the Standard that you may not have learned about before.  It makes you explore and dive deep into ACORD Standards,” says Caleen Alexanderson, ACE, from software vendor Vertafore.

Lisa Smith, Brovada Technologies Inc., also sees the benefit of becoming an ACE and completed her designation for the October, 2012 conferment ceremony.

“Being certified in ACORD Standards is one way where we can communicate to our customers effectively that we have that knowledge and expertise in order to guide them through those processes,” Smith says.

Keeping the Tests Current

ACORD had many accomplishments related to the ACE program in 2012 and into 2013.  ACORD needs a constant influx of new questions for the tests to stay current. It therefore established a methodology for ACEs to volunteer to be question writers for future test takers.  ACEs were handpicked to attend a three-day workshop to learn how to write good test questions and collaborate on the authoring process.  There is now a large bank of test questions as a result of that hard work. 

“The easy part is writing the questions and correct answers.  The hard part is writing three distracters, or wrong answers that are feasible,” Grossman added. 

ACEs Stay Connected

Both ACEs and ACE candidates form a strong community with common goals.  To help those potential ACEs get ahead and keep current ACEs up to date, ACORD has launched two ACE Community websites.  One is accessible by all ACEs, candidates, and applicants. The other is exclusive to the certificants. Both sites feature access to special news and updates specifically for the ACE community.

It's cause for celebration when an individual completes the program.  They are recognized at a conferment ceremony at the ACORD Implementation Forum, where they are presented with a certificate and a lapel pin, and are treated with a special status because of their accomplishments.

Following graduation, ACEs stay heavily involved, and many have dedicated their time and efforts to further expanding and improving the program and continuing to learn.  The ACE continuing education and continuing professional development programs are underway and will help ACEs stay on top of their game.

Details about the tests, training materials and proctor locations are available on the acord.org/ace website or via email: ace@acord.org.

ACORD Knowledge Center

One of the most exciting things ACORD did in 2012 was to establish the ACORD Knowledge Center.  Since it started, attendance has grown into the hundreds. If you if you miss a lesson, they are available for download.  Industry leaders volunteer their time and expertise to help ACORD implementers understand not only standards, but other related topics needed to do their jobs well.  Webinars include topics such as cloud computing, mobile platforms, social media issues and eSignatures. 

Keep an eye out for topics of interest to you.  ACORD has anywhere from one to three per month.  ACORD has become a one-stop shop for people who are implementing our standards and for those with other issues that need handling.

ACORD is always looking for new webinar ideas, speakers, and suggestions. You can email webinars@acord.org with suggestions.

Training

Over the past several months, requests have been increasing from members and non-members worldwide for ACORD training. These are customized instructor-led events provided either in-person or virtually.

“As companies continue to expand their ACORD implementations, or as new groups of staff need to familiarize themselves with ACORD Standards, their need for training increases.  Equally important are the self-paced online courses and the instructor- and virtual instructor-led courses.  We are there to support you through your implementation process in whatever way is most convenient,” says Grossman.