Attaining a Diploma by attending a 2-days workshop?

As a HRD professional, it is sometimes worrying to see for-profit training providers potentially getting themselves into unnecessary situations by being careless with their marketing messages, unintentionally or otherwise.

I'd came across one such academy recently and I was a little surprised to see them 'proclaiming' their programs as "The ........... Diploma and the relevant subject matter" (see picture below). Furthermore, this academy is part of an organization providing strategic intelligence to the financial services industry since 1996.

Qualifications such as Certificate, Advanced Certificate or Diploma is usually awarded by approved educational institutions or professional bodies after completing a stipulated study period (most often at least 3 months or more) and candidates have been assessed and proven competent in the particular area of study.

In Singapore, Private Educational Organizations (PEOs) are required to have an Academic and Examinations Board to ensure that the PEO puts in place proper processes for ensuring the quality of the academic courses that it conducts, the suitable deployment of teachers, and proper examinations procedures.

I felt that it would not be appropriate to 'advertise' the programs with the term 'Diploma' as it creates an incorrect perception that just by attending a 2-days workshop, a participant will be awarded a 'Diploma' certification. Unless of course, the program had already been accredited by an approved higher education institution or non-regulatory bodies such as British Accreditation Council.

Of course recognition and acceptance of certificates for employment or further study are entirely at the discretion of the individual employer or education institution and participants should always conduct the necessary background check if such were the purposes of attending these workshops. Caveat Emptor.