The Council on Occupational Education (COE) is scheduled to conduct a reaffirmation of accreditation for the Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving (CENEODDIVE) March 7-10.

The award of accreditation is based on an evaluation to demonstrate the institution meets not only the standards of quality of the council, but also the needs of students, the community, and employers.

"The process offers assurance that accredited educational institutions provide quality instruction in career and technical training that facilitates learning by students and meets the needs of the fleet," said Greg Allen, CENEODDIVE Learning Standards officer.

The evaluation process includes an extensive self-study by the center and an intensive review by a visiting team of professional educators representing the COE member institutions from other states.

COE is a national accrediting agency committed to assuring quality and integrity in career and workforce training. COE is a nonprofit, voluntary membership organization serving postsecondary education and training institutions, centers, and similar entities interested in the improvement of the workforce in the United States of America. Accreditation is a status granted to a learning institution or program which has been found to meet or exceed stated criteria and standards of learning established by the council.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Mike Monroe, director of training, the COE review is a welcomed outside review of the training programs provided to joint service officer and enlisted students, along with select coalition nations.

"This is an important validation of the high ethical and educational standards of training that is provided to all students that attend CENEODDIVE courses," Monroe said. "COE's review and comments are one of many review programs that focus on continual improvement to quality instruction."

As part of the self-study preparing for the reaffirmation, CENEODDIVE is providing an opportunity for the public to comment on their qualifications for accreditation. Those wishing to make comments should write to: Executive Director, Commission of the Council on Occupational Education, 7840 Roswell Road, Bldg. 300, Suite 325, Atlanta, GA 30350, or submit their comments via the Council website http://www.council.org/. Persons making comments must provide their names and mailing addresses.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For information on the Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ceneoddive/.

For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/ or http://www.netc.navy.mil/.