Frequently Asked Questions United States

No, the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) credential, owned and managed by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), an affiliate of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), is not being phased out nor is it merging with the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP). You may hold either or both credentials.

Yes, CCE continues to recognize NCDA’s 120-hour Facilitating Career Development training curriculum. There are other training providers with CCE-approved curriculums, which you can find on our website at Required Training.

The GCDF credential, formerly known as the Career Development Facilitator (CDF), is owned and managed by CCE. NCDA is one of 14 CCE-approved curriculum providers that offer the required GCDF training.

Credibility & Recognition

  • The GCDF credential is highly recognized within the career development profession. It sends a clear message that a credential holder is well trained and held to a professional standard.
  • CCE continually consults with global experts from a variety of career associations and training organizations to maintain the credential’s relevance and impact.
  • The following states recommend the GCDF in their laws: Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
  • South Carolina requires that career specialists hold a bachelor’s degree and the GCDF credential.

Longevity

  • Launched in 1997, the GCDF is the world’s most recognized credential in career-development facilitation.

Global Relevance

  • As the name suggests, the GCDF has global reach. Since its inception, nearly 32,000 credentials have been issued in 23 different countries. The credential is designed to be culturally relevant, incorporating norms and best practices within a country or community.

Credibility & Recognition

  • The GCDF requires candidates to adhere to a written and enforceable GCDF Code of Ethics, obtain training, and have professional career development experience.
  • The credentialing period is five years. To maintain an active status during the five years, GCDFs are required to pay a $40 annual maintenance fee and in doing so, agree to abide by the GCDF Code of Ethics. At the end of five years, CCE also requires documentation of successfully completing a minimum of 75 hours of continuing education to maintain certification.

Career Advancement

  • CCE marketing research found that 86 percent of career development professionals who seek the GCDF credential do so to advance their careers and add credibility to their position;
  • 46 percent report it helped them secure their job;
  • 58 percent report it helped them advance their career;
  • 86 percent report it added credibility to their position; and
  • 88 percent report they are satisfied with their credential

(Source: CCE Marketing Data from 2016)

The GCDF credential is valid for a five-year period. GCDF credential holders must pay annual maintenance fees and earn 75 continuing education hours to recertify at the end of the 5 year period.

The annual billing occurs approximately 6 weeks before the end of your credentialing month. If you do not receive the renewal notice, please contact CCE.

You must remit the annual maintenance fee payment by the due date to maintain your credential. If CCE does not receive payment by the due date, your certification will become inactive. If you would like your certification to become active again, you will be required to submit a reinstatement application, a $50.00 reinstatement fee, and full payment of the past due balance.

The application fee is a processing and review fee. Your application must be reviewed to ensure that all requirements have been met. Typically, the processing and review of your application will take 15-18 business days.

You will find the GCDF Application by selecting the United States, then Application in the navigation on the lefthand side of this page.

Application processing and review typically takes 15-18 business days, at which point CCE will provide the results of the review via email. Applications and any requested information are processed and reviewed in the order in which they are received.

Application materials can be submitted for review at any time. If any requirement is not met, it can be submitted at a later date. All submitted applications have three years from the date of receipt in order to fulfill all requirements. Applications not complete after three years will be closed and a new application and fee will be required.

As long as the supervisor or human resources manager can verify the experience hours earned, there is no limit on the previous dates of employment.

CCE will accept Verification of Experience Forms that are verified by a Human Resources manager from a previous employer.

Yes. Each qualifying work experience (job position/title) you wish to submit for reviewed will need to have a Verification of Experience Form completed by your supervisor or Human Resourses manager from the employing organization.

The GCDF requires 75 CE clock hours every five years. These hours must meet CCE requirements regarding competency area and activity type, as described on the Continuing Education section found here.

One hour of continuing education is equated to one hour of actual participation in a continuing education activity, excluding breaks, lunch, etc. Please see our approved methods for obtaining continuing education, found here, to determine the amount of hours available for each approved method.

Please review the continuing education guidelines for the GCDF found here.

If your question is not listed here, please contact CCE at credentialinfo@cce-global.org.

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