Online CEU Certifications: What to Look For

In 2016, the global e-learning market was worth $165.36 billion and is expected to continue growing. As more e-learning programs enter the market, it’s sometimes hard to differentiate which platforms are the best and easiest to use. When researching training and CEUs online, know how to sort the great ones from the just-OK ones. 

State approved. This may seem like a no-brainer, but some e-learning sites only accommodate certain states and provinces in Canada. Companies and websites that offer CEU certifications need to obtain approval by the state in order for technicians to get certified under that site. Pay attention to what state the core class qualifies for. 

“Every state and province has a different way of having courses submitted and approved,” Erin Monteagudo, technical content and training specialist for Univar, said. “Sometimes those (CEU courses) get approved indefinitely or every year or every two or three years. So it’s a little merry-go-round of keeping things maintained.”

Company requirements. Pay attention to other requirements your company has in addition to earning core classes. Even though the state of California only requires a total of 40 hours of training to be a licensed applicator, the lowest license a technician can acquire, EcoShield Pest Control requires more licensing. Southern California operations manager Matt Hagberg said EcoShield requires its technicians to obtain a field representative certification, California’s second-highest certification which requires a total of 80 hours. 

“It’s what we felt we needed in order to produce good technicians instead a technician that can just pass a test,” Hagberg said.

Easy user experience. A learning management system, or LMS platform, can make or break user experience. Poor layouts are distracting and will not help a user retain information. When registering, look at the website. Is it easy to read on a cell phone or tablet? Are the lesson objectives clear at the very beginning of the class? Many platforms insist technicians go the full time required for completion without stopping, but if internet were to time out or if a system error were to occur, find out if work will be recovered or saved. 

“No one wants to lose their license and have to retest, not just because of the inconvenience but also in order to stay in compliance,” Alyson Gilleland, a training manager for Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta, said.

Visuals. When you login or register, are the colors on the home screen distracting? Acquiring CEUs at a computer screen for more than a few hours can be more cumbersome with obnoxious colors in the background. This is especially true with hard-to-see reverse type, small or thin fonts. 

“Folks that are coming out of school now do not expect to scroll down a page and click advance — or scroll down a page and see images of things that are 10-plus years old,” Andrew Assir, market manager for Univar, said. “They want dynamic content, audio narration, video, being able to see it on their tablet or their PC.”

Business and safety. If you are a manager or pest control business owner, see if the website can be an additional resource for all of your training requirements. Some websites offer safety classes and business skills for an additional cost, or even as an inclusion to a membership. 

“E-paper” trail. When you pass your CEUs, websites sometimes offer the option of sending in your certificates to the state, either by mail or electronically. If this is the case, make sure you can access the certificates in your account. Print them out if possible and keep them on file or take a screenshot with your computer. See that you have a backup plan if there is a technological or human error when CEU certifications are sent in to your state. If possible, see if your supervisor can have access to your account or receive notifications that you passed your CEUs. 

Customer service. If there is a user glitch or confusion on how the website works, see the company has a timely and helpful hotline or message board for troubleshooting. Also, look to local and national associations for certification opportunities. Many will direct you to credible websites and venues to make sure you are certified on time. 

“Local and state pest control associations do a great job providing training opportunities,” Gilleland said. “There are also many vendors that are more than willing to come to branch or service center locations to provide training resources.”