The defined WBL program
The structured learning, supervision, assessment, safety and completion system within the approved scope.
Workplace-learning pathway · CHSPS-WBL
Work-Based Learning & Competency Program Accreditation
At a glance
- Total to get accredited
- $4,000all-in; includes the $950 application fee
- Every year after
- $1,200annual accreditation fee
- Eligibility answer
- 10 business dayswritten-outcome target after a complete inquiry
- Accreditation term
- 3 years
Eligibility review is free. You pay nothing until eligibility is confirmed and an agreement is signed.
For apprenticeship, residency-style and supervised-practice programs where observed workplace performance decides completion — CHSPS independently reviews the supervision, assessment and sign-off behind it.
501(c)(3) nonprofit · Standards published · Independent decision · Publicly verifiable
Fit and next steps
Who it’s for, and how it works
A good fit
- Apprenticeship and residency-style programs
- Supervised-practice programs where workplace performance counts toward completion
- Structured workplace competency-development programs
Not the right fit
- Employers assuring staff are competent to work, outside a learning program — see WCA
- One educational course — see Course Accreditation
- Ordinary employee orientation — WBL needs a structured program with supervised sign-off
- Free eligibility reviewAbout 5 minutes to submit. CHSPS sends a written outcome, targeted within 10 business days after a complete inquiry.
- Scope & agreementCHSPS confirms the scope in writing. You sign the applicant agreement and pay the $950 application fee, credited toward the $4,000 total.
- Evidence & technical reviewYou submit evidence and the $3,050 review balance. Conflict-screened reviewers evaluate it, and you can answer any findings.
- Independent decisionA separate committee makes the decision, and accredited scope becomes publicly verifiable. The review timeline is stated in writing at scope confirmation, before you pay anything.
Step 1 · Confirm fit
Choose WBL when workplace performance is part of the learning decision.
WBL is designed for a structured program in which learners develop competence in real or simulated work settings under defined supervision and the program uses observed performance evidence to make completion or competency decisions.
Apprenticeship programsResidency-style programsSupervised-practice programsStructured workplace competency development
Choose the right pathway
Workplace learning drives completion
WBLStructured supervision, observed performance and documented sign-off are part of the program.
One educational course is the unit of review
COURSEThe offering is primarily a defined course rather than a supervised workplace-learning program.
An education provider operates many offerings
EDPThe organization wants its provider-level education system reviewed across multiple courses.
A professional credential is awarded for competence
CERTThe organization certifies individuals through a professional certification scheme.
An employer assures workforce competence continuously
WCAThe organizational system controls readiness, continuing competence and authorization to work rather than operating a learning program.
Step 2 · Define scope
Accredit the program, not the employer.
The WBL scope is the defined learning-and-competency program: its participants, workplaces or sites, supervisors, competency expectations, workplace assessment methods, safety controls and completion decisions.
No blanket employer accreditation
Unrelated employer operations, jobs outside the program, external programs and individual workers are not accredited by WBL.
Sites and populations are explicit
The approved learner population, workplace settings, supervisors, assessment approach and completion claim are confirmed during scope review.
CORE-100 + WBL-450 · 2026.1
WBL is a current general accreditation pathway with continuous eligibility intake and a three-year accreditation term.
Step 3 · Reviewer evaluation
What reviewers examine.
Reviewers follow the controls that turn workplace learning into a defensible completion or competency decision.
Program governance
Defined ownership, accountability, roles and program controls for the approved WBL scope.
Competency model
Role requirements, observable criteria and the performance expectations learners are expected to demonstrate.
Supervision
Supervisor and mentor qualifications, responsibilities, oversight and escalation arrangements.
Workplace assessment
How observations, tasks, ratings and other performance evidence support each sign-off or decision.
Safety & site controls
Controls for learner safety, workplace risk, site suitability, incidents and conditions affecting supervised performance.
Completion decisions
Consistent decision rules, remediation where applicable, authorization and retrievable evidence behind program completion.
Evidence flow
The review traces a real sign-off from expectation to decision.
The strongest WBL evidence shows how the program defines competence, supervises performance, observes it, evaluates it, makes the decision and preserves the record.
Define
Set the role, competencies and observable expectations.
Supervise
Assign qualified supervision and clear responsibilities.
Observe
Capture workplace performance under defined conditions.
Assess
Apply criteria, rubrics or other documented assessment rules.
Decide
Make completion or competency decisions using authorized rules.
Record
Retain auditable evidence supporting the final sign-off.
Step 4 · Eligibility & fees
Confirm the operating program before committing funds.
Eligibility is free. CHSPS confirms whether the activity belongs in WBL, whether the proposed scope is reviewable and whether enough operating evidence exists to make formal review useful.
The free review should be able to see a real program.
- 1Accountable organizationA real legal entity, named leadership and responsibility for the WBL program.
- 2Defined program scopeA named learner population, structured workplace-learning model and completion or competency claim.
- 3Operating supervision and assessmentCurrent supervisors, workplace assessment methods and actual implementation evidence.
- 4Records and safety controlsProgram records, sign-off evidence and essential workplace/site safety controls already exist.
Not sure whether WBL or WCA fits? The no-fee eligibility review resolves pathway and scope before any invoice.
$4,000 total initial review — staged, not upfront.
1 · Eligibility$0Fit and proposed scope review.
2 · Application$950After eligibility, scope confirmation and signed agreement.
3 · Evidence$3,050Review balance when evidence is submitted.
Total$4,000Application fee is included in the total.
You do not pay $4,000 upfront. The $950 application fee is credited toward the first-program review.
Step 5 · What happens next
One seven-stage accreditation process.
WBL follows the same CHSPS decision architecture as the other general pathways, with program evidence reviewed against CORE-100 and WBL-450.
- 01
Free eligibility review
CHSPS confirms WBL pathway fit and proposed scope before any paid step.
- 02
Scope & agreement
Program, populations, sites, assessment boundaries, fees and terms are confirmed in writing.
- 03
Self-study & evidence
Your team maps governance, supervision, competency, assessment, safety and completion evidence.
- 04
Technical review
Conflict-screened reviewers test conformity and request clarification or additional evidence where needed.
- 05
Findings & corrective action
Identified gaps are addressed through clarification, corrective action and supporting evidence.
- 06
Independent decision
A separate decision body considers the completed review record.
- 07
Public verification & maintenance
Any accredited status is published within the approved scope and maintained through reporting and renewal.
Step 6 · Why WBL
What WBL accreditation gives the program.
WBL provides independent review of the controls behind workplace learning and competency sign-off without implying accreditation of the employer or certification of individual workers.
Defensible completion decisions
External review of the chain from defined competency expectations to observed workplace evidence and final sign-off.
Supervisor and site discipline
Review of the supervision, workplace and safety controls supporting reliable learning and assessment.
Public verification
A CHSPS record showing the approved WBL program scope, status and accreditation dates.
Accreditation mark rights
Authorized WBL accreditation-mark use within the exact approved scope under the CHSPS Mark & Claims Policy.
Multiple workplaces or programs
Scope sites before review starts.
Work-based learning often spans departments, practice sites or related programs. CHSPS confirms which workplaces and program components are represented in the approved scope before agreement execution. An additional program or site that requires separate review uses the published additional-review fee.
View WBL fee rulesFirst WBL review$4,000 total
Additional program/site review$1,750
Annual accreditation fee$1,200
Renewal review$3,000
Before you decide
Confirm fit, scope, cost and institutional trust.
WBL is the right starting point when structured workplace performance contributes to a learning-program completion or competency decision. The first review is $950 at application + $3,050 at evidence submission = $4,000 total. Standards, governance and accreditation records are publicly inspectable.
Step 7 · After accreditation
Maintaining WBL accreditation.
The accredited program remains responsible for continuing conformity throughout the three-year term. Annual reporting and material-change review keep the public record aligned with the program actually operating.
Keep the program record current
Annual reporting confirms continued operation and surfaces changes that may affect conformity.
- learner population and program volume
- supervisor or assessor changes
- workplace/site changes
- assessment and sign-off activity
- safety, complaints and improvement activity
Report changes that alter the learning or decision model
Changes affecting the accredited scope should be reported under the applicable CHSPS procedure.
- competency model or completion claim
- supervision or mentor model
- workplace assessment methodology
- new sites or major site changes
- safety controls or consequential technology
Revalidate the living WBL program
Renewal reassesses the current program rather than merely replaying the original submission.
- current governance and scope
- competency expectations and supervision
- assessment and completion integrity
- safety and site controls
- records and improvement evidence
Published standard · CHSPS-WBL-450 · Edition 2026.1
The controlled standard is authoritative. WBL accreditation uses CORE-100 together with CHSPS-WBL-450 for the exact approved program scope. Eligibility, payment or evidence submission does not create accredited status; only an independent CHSPS decision and current public verification record do so.
Before you apply
Questions buyers ask first
What does it cost, all-in?
$4,000 for the first program: the $950 application fee when you sign the applicant agreement, then the $3,050 review balance when you submit evidence. After that, $1,200 a year and a $3,000 renewal review every 3 years. Each additional program or site that needs separate review is $1,750. The eligibility review is free.
How long does it take?
The free eligibility review targets a written outcome within 10 business days after a complete inquiry. CHSPS does not publish a single planning target for this pathway; the review timeline is stated in writing at scope confirmation, before you pay anything.
What do we need to start, and what evidence comes later?
Nothing to upload. Step 1 asks only for your name, email and organization; the rest of the form covers scope, operating status and readiness, in about 5 minutes. Formal evidence comes after the agreement is signed: program governance, supervision, the competency model, workplace assessment, safety controls and completion decisions.
Can organizations outside the United States apply?
Yes. CHSPS is a United States–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit; organizations in any country may apply.
What if we are not eligible?
Every eligibility review ends in a written outcome: Eligible, Potentially Eligible — Additional Information Required, or Not Eligible, with the specific thresholds not yet met. There is no charge for the review, and if a different CHSPS pathway fits better, the review says so.