The Steps Your College Can Take to Earn AEDF Accreditation
The AED Foundation (AEDF) is committed to accrediting 100 college programs across North America by 2024. With this goal in mind, the Foundation has been working with schools to become AEDF accredited.
Accreditation is highly sought after by colleges as it displays their commitment to providing students with an industry-recognized education. Accredited programs are required to be up-to-date with the Foundation’s standards to validate the program’s quality. For this reason, many students have chosen to attend AEDF accredited programs, as accreditation is an indicator of top-tier industry education. By choosing to become accredited, colleges show their concern for holding their programs to a higher standard and attract students looking to fast-track their careers within the industry.
In addition to the benefits for schools and students, accredited college programs help create a steady pipeline of qualified industry technicians. With the current industry workforce shortage, competent technicians can be hard to come by. Introducing more accredited colleges will produce an increase in AEDF certified technicians, who bring in $250,000 to a dealership each year.
With all the advantages of being an AEDF accredited college, many schools are interested in becoming accredited but may be wondering about the process. The steps to becoming an accredited college include:
- Establish a dealer task force to work with the school. All accredited colleges must work closely with a dealer in the area.
- Perform gap analysis and develop an action plan. This includes noting where your program may need to be altered to fit accreditation requirements and develop a solution to modify it accordingly.
- Acquire equipment for the program. All AEDF accredited programs must have access to adequate equipment to ensure students can learn effectively.
- Develop a curriculum that meets AEDF standards. The AED Foundation holds it’s accredited programs to a high standard to ensure students receive a high-quality education. Programs must meet these standards to become accredited.
- Host Evaluation Team Leader (ETL) visit. The Foundation’s ETLs are hardworking volunteers who are experts at reviewing prospective programs to meet AEDF’s standards. This final step in the process confirms that a program is fit for accreditation.
With the participation of schools and dealers, the Foundation is accrediting college programs as fast as possible. For more information, download The AED Foundation Accreditation Summary or fill out an application.
Any questions about the accreditation process can be directed to Vice President of Education and Programming , Liz McCabe, at lmccabe@aednet.org.
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