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Are any governments restricting or abolishing certain professional certifications nationwide?
Executive summary
There is no broad, single-country trend in the provided reporting showing governments are universally abolishing entire categories of professional certifications; instead, the available sources document targeted regulatory changes to certification programs (for technology and education compliance) and new requirements for some certifications in government contracting (e.g., CMMC) [1] [2]. Federal U.S. regulatory updates focus on certification program maintenance, program-to-license disclosures for higher‑education programs, and phased enforcement windows rather than blanket abolition [1] [3] [4].
1. Tightening standards and maintenance rules in sectoral certifications
Regulators are updating how certain technical products and programs remain “certified” rather than abolishing certification altogether: the U.S. Health IT certification program finalized maintenance-of-certification requirements that take effect January 1, 2025, obliging developers of certified products to meet ongoing update and risk‑management duties [1]. That shows government action can strengthen certification rules and expiration timelines, not eliminate credentialing.
2. New mandatory certifications tied to government contracts
Some governments are moving to require specific credentials for access to public contracts. Coverage notes that Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) becomes required for certain Department of Defense (referred to as “Department of War” in one source) contracts starting November 10, 2025 — an expansion of mandatory certification to firms seeking sensitive contracts [2]. That is the inverse of abolition: it makes a credential compulsory in procurement.
3. Federal higher‑education rules reshape licensure-related disclosures and enforcement windows
U.S. Department of Education rulemaking has tightened how institutions report whether programs meet state licensure or certification requirements and introduced new compliance procedures for programs leading to license/certification; the Department signaled limited enforcement discretion for certain auditor attestations between July 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025 to address implementation challenges [3] [4]. These are regulatory refinements affecting how certifications and license‑preparation programs are supervised, not unilateral removal of professional certificates [3] [4].
4. Phased transitions and expiry dates — administrative phase‑outs, not wholesale eliminations
The Health IT rule includes specific expiry dates for prior standards and transition periods (for example, the SMART v1 Guide remains available through December 31, 2025, while adoption of some older certification criteria expires on January 1, 2025), reflecting phased replacement of technical criteria rather than an abolition of certification as a concept [1]. Agencies commonly replace one certified standard with another to reflect technology or data‑terminology updates [1].
5. Enforcement discretion and practical implementation issues
The Department of Education publicly acknowledged compliance difficulties and announced enforcement discretion in limited circumstances (notably for auditor attestations) to ease the transition to new rules [3]. That demonstrates governments may temper immediate enforcement where implementation burdens exist, a different policy stance than outright abolishing credentials [3].
6. Market and advocacy responses: expanding access vs. regulatory change
Outside of regulatory tightening, some legislative and industry developments point toward expanding access to certifications (for example, U.S. legislation to make training and certifications more affordable and accessible was lauded by professional groups), which again runs counter to an abolition narrative [5]. Professional bodies and businesses continue to promote certifications as gateways to government contracts and employment [6] [5].
7. What the supplied reporting does not cover
Available sources do not mention any national government broadly abolishing whole professions’ certifications (for example, eliminating medical, legal, engineering, or teaching licenses) nor do they document a coordinated international movement to end professional credentialing. Specifics on other countries’ actions, state‑level bans on particular certificates, or sectoral credential abolitions are not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting).
8. Practical takeaway for professionals and employers
The journalism in these sources shows the immediate policy risk lies in changing standards, new mandatory certifications for government contracting (e.g., CMMC), and tighter disclosure and maintenance rules that can affect education providers and tech vendors [2] [1] [4]. Stakeholders should track rulemaking timelines and transition/expiry dates and plan for compliance or certification acquistion rather than expecting a widespread elimination of credential regimes [1] [3] [2].