NFDA Launches Online Version of Funeral Profession’s Leading Cremation Certification Course
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Cremation Certification Program has quickly become the profession’s gold standard and now, with a new online option, funeral professionals can earn certification at their own pace, saving time and travel expenses.
The online version of the NFDA Cremation Certification course is based on the same robust content as the in-person program and includes the Cremation Standards for Funeral Service Professionals manual. Course modules are engaging and interactive, featuring multiple nationally-renowned experts, including the highly-respected Mike Nicodemus, NFDA’s vice president of cremation services, who has decades of experience training funeral professionals on cremation.
Learners can access course modules any time, day or night, from their home or office. Upon completing the online course and passing the certification exam, participants will earn the same designation as those taking the in-person or virtual course. NFDA offers two designations, depending on an individual’s role in the funeral home or crematory: the CCSP (Certified Cremation Services Provider) designation for funeral directors and staff that offer cremation services through a use of a third-party crematory and the CCO (Certified Crematory Operator) designation for crematory owners and operators.
With cremation litigation on the rise and the rate of cremation expected to reach 78% by 2040, it’s never been more important for funeral professionals to adhere to the highest safety, professional and ethical standards as they provide cremation services to families.
“If a funeral professional provides cremation services to families, the NFDA Cremation Certification Program is necessary for their success,” Nicodemus said. “The program was created by funeral directors and for funeral directors, with special focus on ethics. We cover everything funeral professionals need to know including due diligence at every point in the cremation process and strategies for providing the best possible service to families that prefer cremation.”
Nicodemus emphasized that the NFDA Cremation Certification program is not only for funeral home owners, managers and staff that operate an onsite crematory. “This program offers critical training for those who are thinking about opening a crematory or anyone who works with a third-party crematory.”
“I learned so much, as did the operator that took the class with me,” said NFDA Cremation Certification Program participant Crysta Bertrand from Greenland Funeral Home in Springfield, Missouri. “By the end of it we were coming up with ideas that we wanted to implement at our location… This was an amazing experience, and I am glad that I got to be a part of it.”
NFDA will continue to offer in-person and virtual options for certification in 2021. The in-person certification seminar enables participants to engage face-to-face with Nicodemus and network with colleagues. In-person seminars in 2021 will be scheduled when NFDA it is certain it can keep attendees safe during the ongoing pandemic.
During virtual Cremation Certification Program seminars, funeral professionals can take advantage of live training with experts from the comfort of their home or office during two half-day sessions. Seminar participants will take part in real-time Q&A opportunities and enjoy a safe, travel-free alternative to in-person training.
The NFDA Cremation Certification is generously supported by Implant Recycling.
Funeral professionals who are interested in more information or who would like to register for an in-person, virtual or online NFDA Cremation Certification Program should visit www.nfda.org/cremationcertification.
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
