Benefits of Certification

Enrichment teacher certification is fast becoming the industry standard.  Certified enrichment teachers protect children’s well-being while enriching their education.  Certification facilities best practice in which exposure to risk is limited and educational growth is maximized.  The benefits of including a NETA certification on your resume are far reaching:

NETA certification makes you more employable.  To the eyes of an employer, listing your NETA certification on your resume highlights your professionalism, the breadth of your knowledge and your seriousness of purpose.  Once certified you may immediately begin marketing yourself as “NETA CERTIFIED” or “Certified by the National Enrichment Teachers Association”.  You will be provided with (A) a NETA ID Card and (B), a NETA certificate suitable for display in a portfolio.

NETA certification gives you nationwide visibility.  Once you have successfully passed the NETA Certification Exam, your name and contact information will be included on our national database of certified enrichment teachers viewed by program providers and employers all across the country.
 

  • NETA certification protects you.  Understanding the legal liabilities unique to this field of work is a must.  The moment an enrichment teacher steps into the classroom – whether it is at a school, studio, community center, etc. – they assume certain legal liabilities.  The training and certification programs provided by NETA reduce the risk of costly mistakes, helps ensure the safety of your students and ultimately makes you more effective with the children you serve.

Certified enrichment teachers elevate the stature of school programs.  According to the Department of Labor, as of 2006 there were 266,000 enrichment teachers working in the United States.  Parents demand quality assurance and accountability of the enrichment teachers placed at their schools.  Only through regulating the quality of the teaching staff through certification can parents be assured of the highest standards of safety for their children.  

NETA is your advocate in the enrichment industry.  NETA provides a nationwide enrichment community with access to newsletters, discounts on NETA resources and, coming in 2010, a database of certified enrichment teachers and enrichment job listings.

Training and certification will soon be mandatory.  NETA has established a forum in which the enrichment industry is provided the means to regulate itself.  Historically, government-enforced licensure is introduced to an industry because (A) the industry fails to provide meaningful self-regulation, and/or (B) the lack of self-regulation precipitates a significant threat to or results in injury to the public.  The adoption of industry-wide standards coupled with certification has proven to be a viable, reasonable and effective alternative to government intervention for many public-service industries and is a must for our industry if enrichment is to continue to thrive in today’s educational landscape.