The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a shock to our healthcare system, resulting in shortages of qualified, licensed healthcare professionals needed to support state and local response and keep communities safe.
Last week, Accela introduced a better way for state agencies to manage the licensing review and approval process for professionals who require licenses to work, such as healthcare workers and other individuals on the front lines of battling the virus: the Civic Application for Occupational Licensing.
Accela’s new cloud-based, user-friendly solution makes it easier for professionals in licensed occupations to submit a license application online, pay the appropriate fees, provide education credentials,
and track the application Accela Occupational Licensing provides professionals a simple, easy-to-use way to move through the occupational licensing process. Accela Occupational Licensing provides professionals a simple, easy-to-use way to move through the occupational licensing process throughout the approval process. In doing so, it also helps make government and oversight boards more responsive to residents to build public trust.
When software is robust, intuitive, and simple to use, it enables agencies to provide an amazing experience for their citizens while at the same time leveraging the platform to become more organized and streamline workflows. Accela is proud to be playing a part in delivering this fast-to-implement solution to a growing market. In total, over 25 percent of the U.S. workforce is in a licensed occupation.
Many people are familiar with licensing requirements for professionals like dentists, lawyers, and physicians, but today these requirements extend to a broad set of workers. For example, contractors, auctioneers, scrap metal recyclers, and barbers are all licensed in many states. Over the past 25 years, there has been over a 30% increase in the number of occupations that require a license and a significant increase in the number of workers who hold a state occupational license.
In general, the licensing process involves the applicant submitting an application form, which includes their personal information, background, and experience in the occupational field. If education credentials are required, the applicant submits documentation confirming that she or he has completed the required amount and type of education (in some cases, the state may have an integration into a continuing education database to verify education credentials). Other materials may be required, such as photos, letters of reference, exam results, or proof that the applicant has obtained additional required licenses. The applicant then pays a license or renewal fee as well.
Accela Occupational Licensing is a turnkey solution that makes the licensing review and approval process simple and transparent, which not only helps spur economic growth but also helps professionals focus on their jobs — many of which involve maintaining community public health and safety. The solution enables licensing agencies and oversight boards to provide a multilingual web portal that empowers license applicants to submit applications, pay fees, upload images and documents, and get status updates when and where it is convenient for them.
Other features include:
- Electronic document review — Concurrent record viewing and markup speeds the review process.
- Online payments — Standard integrations with payment processors make it easy to accept several forms of online payments.
- Powerful reporting tools — Help identify key insights and enable leadership to make informed decisions by measuring, tracking, and analyzing internal productivity and external activities.
- Platform-wide APIs, SDKs, and open data — Allows developers to integrate data and processes across complementary solutions to meet the unique needs of agencies.
Accela Occupational Licensing offers the flexibility, scalability, and security that enables governments to automate and have more control over the entire licensing and renewal process from beginning to end. It simultaneously provides a seamlessly integrated online experience with real-time tracking and verification for licensed professionals.
For more information, visit www.accela.com/solutions/occupational-licensing/.
