September 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 68

C E R T I F I C AT I O N

tors (i.e., work experience, on-the-job
training, dispositional behaviors, etc.).
These sentiments suggest the need for
a more systematic investigation of the
role of certifications in the park and
recreation profession.
Along this line, the Journal of Park
and Recreation Administration recently
released a study, " Professional Certifications and Job Self-Efficacy of
Public Park and Recreation Professionals, "
(http://js.sagamorepub.
com/jpra/issue/view/690) that examines the possible links between
CPRP certification, several specialist
certifications, and perceptions of job
performance capabilities among public park and recreation professionals.
In completing the investigation, data
was collected from 347 public park
and recreation professionals and the

tion and specialist certifications. In
particular, professionals with both
the CPRP certification and at least
one specialist certification possessed
significantly higher perceptions of
their job performance capabilities
compared to professionals without
any certification. However, no significant differences were found between
professionals who only possessed the
CPRP and those who had the CPRP
and at least one specialist certification.
Taken collectively, these findings
highlight the positive contributions
of the CPRP certification in today's
workplace. In addition to validating
the individual's proficiency and commitment to the profession, the findings suggest CPRP professionals have
the potential to be more productive
in their work compared to their non-

CPRP professionals were found to posess...higher
perceptions of their job perfomance capabilities.
results yielded three major findings:
Finding 1: There was a positive
and significant link found between
the CPRP credential and job performance capabilities. Specifically,
CPRP professionals were found to
possess significantly higher perceptions of their job performance capabilities compared to non-CPRP professionals and even those with at least
one specialist certification.
Finding 2: Challenging one of the
study's hypotheses, a neutral effect was
found with specialist certifications.
More specifically, professionals with
specialist certifications did not have
significantly higher perceptions of their
job performance capabilities compared
to professionals without a certification.
Finding 3: An interaction was
found between the CPRP certifica66 Parks & Recreation

CPRP colleagues. It also suggests a
complementary effect in acquiring
and maintaining both a generalist
certification, such as the CPRP, and a
specialist certification.
So, what do the findings from this
study mean for parks and recreation?
More specifically, what are its implications to the professional, the park and
recreation agency, and the profession?
In response to these questions, let us
consider the role of the CPRP certification and its impact on the professional, agency and profession.
CPRP Certification
For The Professional
The park and recreation field is rapidly evolving, and the challenge for
the recreation professional is to stay
ahead of these changes. The CPRP

| S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

certification provides a formalized
system for staying current with trends
and issues in the field.
Invest in Something Valuable -
You. Society has shifted from job security to employment security. Specifically, the tenure of a professional with
one agency is decreasing as transfers
from one agency to another are occurring at a higher frequency than in
the past. As a result of this trend, the
need for recognizable skills, knowledge
and abilities has become increasingly
important for the park and recreation
professional as they navigate the employment field. The CPRP certification
meets this need by providing evidence
that a professional has a full complement of entry-level knowledge and
what it takes to be a solid professional.
Career Kick-Starter. Securing that
first, full-time job in any field can be a
challenge. An effort to distinguish their
application from the rest of the pool
is a " must " for these new job seekers.
The CPRP designation can aid in that
process. Having that acronym behind
their name provides another credential,
demonstrates a standards competency
level, highlights the applicant's commitment to the profession and adds a
recognizable brand name to their résumé. While employers may or may
not recognize the applicant's name, the
hiring agency will likely recognize the
" CPRP brand " which can help distinguish the applicant.
Career Advancement. The Journal
of Park and Recreation Administration
study found CPRP-certified professionals possessed more advanced
perceptions of job performance capabilities compared to their non-CPRP
colleagues. These findings suggest
that the knowledge and skills obtained
through the certification process could
lead to higher job performance. In
turn, this higher performance could
result in more promotional and/or
leadership opportunities.

September 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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