Industry Credentials That Qualify — A Quick Reference
A common question from CTE teachers new to VBCTF: what counts as an "industry-recognized credential"? The Virginia Department of Education maintains its own list of approved credentials for graduation purposes, and VBCTF aligns with that list for the hard-trades clusters we serve. Here's the quick reference.
Architecture & Construction
NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) Core, Level 1, and Level 2 in any construction trade
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 (must be paired with a substantive CTE program — the OSHA card alone isn't sufficient, but it's recognized as part of a stronger nomination)
Home Builders Institute (HBI) credentials
AWS (American Welding Society) SENSE Level 1
ICC (International Code Council) entry credentials
Virginia Tradesman certifications (when earned in high school via a CTE pathway)
Manufacturing
NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) credentials — particularly Machining Level 1, Industrial Maintenance, CNC operator
MSSC (Manufacturing Skill Standards Council) Certified Production Technician (CPT)
AWS welding credentials (overlap with construction)
NCCER Manufacturing Level 1
Smaller manufacturer-specific credentials (Snap-on Diagnostics, etc.)
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
ASE Student Certification (entry-level)
ASE certifications in automotive, diesel, or heavy equipment specialties (when earned in high school)
NCCER Diesel Level 1
EPA 609 (automotive refrigerant handling — required for any auto tech doing AC work)
FAA airframe and powerplant certifications (rare in high school but valid)
TIA (Tire Industry Association) credentials
EPA 608
EPA 608 (refrigerant handling, required for HVAC work) is one of the most commonly earned and most consequential credentials a high school HVAC student can leave with. It qualifies.
What doesn't qualify (in our scope)
Cosmetology and barbering credentials (those students are great — but they're not in our scope)
IT credentials (CompTIA, Cisco, etc.)
Health science credentials (CNA, EMT, pharmacy tech)
Culinary credentials (ServSafe, etc.)
These are real, valuable credentials — but VBCTF focuses specifically on the hard trades where tool cost is the day-one barrier.
When in doubt, ask
If your student has a credential that isn't on this list but is industry-recognized and tied to a hard-trades CTE program, email us before the cutoff. We'd rather review an edge case than reject a deserving student.
See the full course list: Qualifying CTE Courses →
Ready to nominate? Open the nomination form →
