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Why Should You Apply Professionalise Your Career Development Practice On top of enhancing your professional portfolio, here are more reasons to become a certified credential holder:
* Not applicable to credential holders who are foreigners |
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What is it?
The SWDA Career Development Framework (“CDF”) is a competency-based credentialing framework for career advisors and career practitioners. It is developed by SWDA with inputs from the Ministry of Education (“MOE”) and the Employment and Employability Institute Pte. Ltd. (“e2i”) who are key stakeholders in the provision of education and career advisory services for students and adults respectively. The CDF is also aligned to international practices and emphasizes the practice component in a career advisor’s or a career practitioner’s role. The credentialing will allow SWDA, MOE, e2i and other stakeholders in the career development community to uphold professional standards and ethics in the community.
The CDF offers 3 credentials targeted at the career professionals in different roles; namely Certified Career Advisor (CCA), Certified Career Practitioner (CCP) and Certified Career Clinical Supervisor (CCCS). The three credentials are defined by a set of competencies which are packaged into recommended training courses, of which applicants will need to complete as an initial training to testify that they have the body of knowledge for the respective credential. Subsequently, they must fulfil practice hours as a demonstration of application of skills.
The three credentials and their descriptions are as follows:
Certified Career Advisor (CCA) - A CCA is able to provide basic education and career advisory (including details on government initiatives e.g. SkillsFuture, etc.) to clients using simple profiling tools in a one-to-one or group setting. This role may also include SkillsFuture Advisors and Industry Mentors.
Certified Career Practitioner (CCP) - A CCP is able to apply career development theories and tools to help clients make education, career and training choices through effective one-to-one and group facilitation. This role includes the career coaches at SWDA and e2i, the Education and Career Guidance (ECG) counsellors in MOE, and those at the Institutes of Higher Learning.
Certified Career Practitioner Supervisor (CCPS) - A CCPS is able to supervise and guide career practitioners to provide and implement effective interventions for clients on a one-to-one or group basis.
Who Is It For?
Career Professionals who help clients identify their work-related values, interests, personality, and skills, and to use this understanding in planning and managing their education & training, career and job search advisory. They must be able to apply career development theories and tools to help clients make education, career and training choices through effective one-to-one and group facilitation.
Services and interventions rendered includes but are not limited to education and career guidance, managing career transition, creation of CVs and resumes, professional branding and marketing, job search, job interview preparation and engaging employers for job vacancies.
Role of Credential Holders
The SWDA CDF is not for any legislative purposes. Career practitioners who hold the CDF credentials may be working at career centres, schools, Institutes of Higher Learning, centres that cater to niche segments (e.g. persons with disabilities), or within companies that have strong career practices. The decision to hire, designate, and deploy credential holders is up to the organisation. SWDA does not make any recommendations as to the role that they should play in an organisation. The credentials are also not tied to any specific job titles or roles.
To apply for the credentials, applicants must fulfil the following criteria:
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Completed the recommended training course or undergone the assessment stipulated by SWDA if they have completed other career development courses;
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Completed the required number of practice hours; and
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Delivered career interventions to the required number of clients.
Required Initial Training
To meet the credentialing requirements, applicants must complete the following initial training. You will need to submit a softcopy of the training certificate of completion/statement of attainment (SOA) as part your credential application.
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Credential |
Required Initial Training |
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Certified Career Advisor (CCA) |
Career Advisory Programme (CAP) by SWDA / Basic Career Training & Advisory Programme (BCTA) |
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Certified Career Practitioner (CCP) |
Career Facilitation Programme (CFP) by SWDA / Advanced Certificate in Career Development Facilitation (ACCDF) |
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Certified Career Practitioner Supervisor (CCPS) |
Career Supervision Programme (CSP) by SWDA |
| Fee (inc GST) | |
| New/Renewal Application | $184.21 |
| Appeal | $191.84 |
All prices are inclusive of GST. Fees are non-refundable and applicants are to ensure that they meet the credentialing criteria before applying.
Appeal Process
All applications for credentials are carefully evaluated and deliberated by the Credential Approval Panel. Hence, any appeal will unlikely be successful unless there is new information that addresses the gaps highlighted in the rejection notification and advisory. If the appeal does not have any new information to support the original application, there will be no change in the outcome. Instead of appeal, most applicants would address the gaps and file a new application at the next application window. If you have new information that addresses the gaps identified in your original application, please submit a request for the appeal form by emailing pcd@swda.gov.sg. Please note that the appeal fee is payable for any appeal, regardless of the outcome of the appeal, and is non-refundable.
Applications are accepted twice a year, in March and October.
Credential applications open from 1 to 31 October 2026.
To apply:
Certified Career Advisor (CCA)
Certified Career Practitioner (CCP)
Certified Career Practitioner Supervisor (CCPS)
Applicants and credential holders are expected to abide by the People and Career Development Association’s (PCDA) and the Career Development Association of Singapore (CDAS) Code of Ethics for Career Practitioners, failing which, their credentials will be withdrawn.
If their credentials are withdrawn, they will need to show evidence of having complied with the Code of Ethics in order to be reinstated. The decision to reinstate the credentials of any applicant will be at the sole discretion of SWDA, whose decision shall be final and conclusive on the applicant. The Code of Ethics can be found at http://pcda.org.sg and http://cdas.org.sg/code-of-ethics (or such other website that operates in lieu thereof). SWDA is entitled to deny eligibility of any applicant based on an ethics review (which shall be conducted in such format and manner as may be stipulated by SWDA). Application fees are not refundable when an application is rejected.
Career practitioners who wish to find out more about the SWDA Career Development Framework and credentialing may contact 6669 7932 or submit their enquiry to SWDA feedback portal at https://service-portal.swda.gov.sg/s/feedback
Interested companies or individuals may contact SWDA at 6669 7932
