Manager's Tool - Proof of Education and Occupational Certification

Proof of education and occupational certification is required to confirm that an individual meets the educational requirements identified on a Statement of Merit Criteria (SoMC). The educational requirements are established based on the position and in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s (TBS) Qualification Standards.

This tool aims to support managers and assessment committee members in the assessment of educational requirements in the context of a staffing action or selection process.

Proof of education is required to demonstrate merit for the following staffing actions: acting appointments of 4 months or more, term or indeterminate appointments and deployments.

Candidate Responsibilities

Candidate Responsibilities
- Provide documentation demonstrating that:
  - Educational requirements are met (see examples).
  - Courses correspond to the required duration of an educational program (e.g. two years of a post-secondary education) or form part of a required specialization, when applicable.
  - An employer-approved alternative identified on the SoMC is met, when applicable.
- Confirmation of name change if current name does not match proof of education (copy of Birth Certificate, Certificate of Legal Name Change or a note confirming the name change).
- Have foreign educational credentials from an international institution evaluated for Canadian equivalency and provide an academic credential assessment report to the assessment committee or hiring manager.
Hiring Manager / Assessment Committee Responsibilities

Hiring Manager / Assessment Committee Responsibilities
- Determine the approach to assessing the educational requirements (e.g. timing, methodology, logistics, etc.).
- Determine when it might be appropriate to see originals such as:
  - For an initial appointment into the Public Service.
  - When a copy presents anomalies or is not of good quality.
- Determine if the educational requirements are met. This may include assessing whether:
  - Courses taken correspond to a required duration of an educational program (e.g. two years of a post-secondary education).
  - Education provided is considered part of a required specialization (e.g. by reviewing a list of courses, a narrative explanation or a resume)
  - Employer-approved alternatives as established on the SoMC are met.
- Apply the “Notes” from the TBS Qualifications Standard as applicable.
- Verify an institution’s legal status via the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) when an educational qualification requires credentials from a recognized educational institution. Note that the TBS definition of recognized includes institutions categorized as “recognized” as well as “authorized” by the CICIC. The definition excludes “registered” institutions.
- If a confirmation of name change was provided, verify the information and make a note of this for the staffing file (e.g., comment in HRSC Portal) – do not submit or keep copies of the proof provided as these documents are confidential.
- Consult the TBS Frequently asked questions about the qualification standards.

Examples of Acceptable Proof of Education

Appointments

Copy of Diploma/Degree OR Attestation Letter from the Dean or Registrar OR Transcript (with confirmation of meeting all program requirements) OR Equivalencies granted by Canadian provincial or territorial authorities (e.g. GED) and, where applicable, the assessment that courses taken correspond to a required duration of an educational program or the assessment of a required specialization.

Academic credential assessment report for foreign credentials.

Documentation demonstrating that a clause in the “Notes” is met as applicable (e.g. PeopleSoft print screen, copy of letter of offer of previous position, copy of PSC test results, etc.).

Documentation demonstrating that the Occupational Certification criteria is met as applicable (e.g. copy of an accounting title).

Deployments – Though not subject to merit, the qualification standards must be met.

Intergroup deployment - Movement from one classification group to another (e.g., AS to PE).

Proof of meeting the educational requirements is required, refer to the appointment examples above.
Same group deployment – Movement within the same classification group (e.g., AS to AS).
Provide proof as per the appointment examples above OR the candidate’s résumé that includes a section on education OR a statement in the comments section of the HRSC Portal request that the candidate meets the educational requirements.
Note: Proof of meeting the educational requirements is required in the following situations(refer to the appointments examples above):
- The candidate was appointed into the classification group using an employer-approved alternative and employer-approved alternatives cannot be used for the position being staffed.
- There is more than one minimum educational requirement for the same group and level (e.g. EC Part A vs EC Part B) and the candidate is moving from one category to the other.

Manager's Tool - Proof of Education and Occupational Certification

Candidate Responsibilities

Hiring Manager / Assessment Committee Responsibilities

Examples of Acceptable Proof of Education