Career-oriented institutions seek to employ and develop knowledgeable and skillful employees to support and achieve their missions. Specialized employee training enables institutions to develop high-achieving, compliant, and ethical employees to better serve students. The CHEP certification is awarded to employees who complete forty-eight hours of approved training in their job function area. Approved training programs provide relevant competency-based course options for each CHEP concentration area to meet the needs of the institution and the individual. Training participants must successfully pass each selected course to earn the CHEP certification.

Career-oriented institutions offer a wide range of postsecondary educational programs, from short-term certificates to doctoral and professional degrees. Each hiring institution has its own degree requirements for its faculty, staff and management. Employee degree requirements vary depending on the educational level offered by the institution, organizational philosophy of the institution, the requirements of the governing state and professional licensing bodies as well as the applicable accreditation standards. Institutions are encouraged to provide the CHEP certification opportunity to employees at all degree levels to maximize employee performance across the board.

The CHEP certification recognizes employees at all experience levels who strive for excellence in their respective positions. Institutions are encouraged to provide the CHEP certification opportunity to their newly hired employees to better prepare them for their functional positions.

Although the CHEP certification is awarded in a specific concentration area, CHEPs can maintain their certification status by completing eight hours of continuing education annually from any of the approved training areas. This provides the opportunity for CHEPs to expand their knowledge base beyond their job function areas and remain current on new developments in the field.