"In the meantime, there is an SAQ exam somewhere every day - and not only in Switzerland"

Not only organizations have the quality of their processes and products certified. People also prove their professional competence with a corresponding certificate. Personal certificates are an important proof of performance - especially in areas with high demands on professional competence. For example, due to the increasing complexity of the financial markets, various banks now have their customer advisors certified by the SAQ in order to meet the growing demands of customers on their financial advisors.

Why has personal certification become such an important pillar of SAQ?

Stefan Aegerter: Originally, the personal certificates grew out of the pure QM examinations. Almost ten years ago, the SAQ played the right card - also with a little risk and luck - with the development and expansion in the area of IT certifications. There was a great demand, and with the pressure to meet expectations on the one hand, experience and know-how grew in parallel. Later, the certification of client advisors at the bank was added. Today, personal certification is not only an important pillar of SAQ, but also a recognized and weighty partner when it comes to the development and introduction of complex and multinational certification systems. Here we have taken on a pioneering role in recent years. Today we can say that SAQ examinations are carried out all over the world.

So demand seems to remain enormous. To what extent do you also benefit from the increased regulatory pressure on certain industries, especially when you think of the financial sector?

In principle, we do not feel any direct pressure from the regulators. The relevant industries are striving to proactively meet the planned regulatory requirements. They are not waiting for the legislator to enact the new requirements. The goal is to achieve self-regulation by the industry.

What are the certificates currently most in demand and what do they contain?

The demand for certificates in the IT sector remains high. The SAQ is now a certification body for ISTQB® Certified Tester, IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering, ISPMA Certified Software Product Manager and UXQB Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience. There is great interest in the certification of customer advisors bank accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service. In the area of Comprehensive Quality we have a wide range of services via our subsidiaries SAQ-QUALICON AG and ARIAQ SA. It is important for us to pick up on and observe trends. However, we weigh very carefully where a deeper commitment is worthwhile. We want to build credible systems that establish themselves over time. In this respect, we also turn down requests time and again.

What trends have you noticed in the last few years and where will they develop further?

The trend is clearly towards internationalisation and harmonisation. The Bologna and Copenhagen systems must complement each other with the general recognition of practical proof of competence. Univer

Knowhow and flexibility: This is where personal certifications come in.

sities and universities are prepared to adapt the learning content of a CAS in modular courses in such a way that an SAQ certificate can be obtained at the end of the module after passing the SAQ examination. Until recently, this would have been unthinkable. This is so that students receive the SAQ certificate on the one hand and the ECTS points at the same time. The certificate holders thus benefit from a recognised certificate within the framework of the internationally harmonised ISO standard 17024 and at the same time can already explicitly demonstrate a competence that is in demand in the relevant industry.

Who should or must now be certified as a person?

What bothers me here is the word 'must'. The insight that only lifelong learning and ongoing training can maintain individual employability has already become widely accepted. The European Commission alone currently estimates that 80 percent of the technologies used in the world of work today will become obsolete within ten years. At the same time, 80 percent of employees will have to work with technologies that are no more than ten years old. These figures show what is required of employees: Knowhow and flexibility. This is where personal certifications come in. In contrast to federal qualifications such as a certificate of proficiency, a specialist certificate or diplomas, which remain valid once acquired, most personal certifications require recertification after a certain period of validity. In concrete terms, this means that a certified person must demonstrate by means of a test or training measure that he or she still possesses the relevant competence and ability in this area.

How much effort is required on the one hand for the person and on the other hand for his employer?

The effort usually results from the preparation (training) and the respective exam. Therefore, this effort is individual. We adhere to the principle to which we are also committed to the SAS and the ISO 17024 standard: strict separation between training and examination. Every interested person can inform himself about the respective examinations via our homepage www.personenzertifizierung. ch about the respective examinations. This includes literature, sample exams and information on registration and duration of the respective setting.

You will now be leaving the management of the certification body in new hands. What will you pass on to your successor as a central message?

I am sure that my successor will not need any messages or recommendations from me. It is important to me that we can make the most of the handover period, which will last several weeks. Andreas Lenzi has many years of experience in the auditing sector from which the SAQ will be able to benefit. Personally, it gives me great pleasure to be able to hand over an area that has developed and diversified very positively in recent years. Such success requires an entire team, from the administration to the audit supervisors to all mandated experts. This team ensures with a great deal of dedication and enthusiasm that SAQ examinations can be carried out smoothly almost every day.

How will you yourself stay connected to the SAQ in the future?

On the one hand, I will of course continue to follow with interest how the individual projects and certification systems develop. I am sure that we will continue to hear many positive things from the SAQ in the future. In addition, I will be available as an audit auditor on a small scale and will primarily audit in the area of bank client advisors.