Honorary president: Judith Butcher Honorary vice-president: David Crystal OBE
SfEP qualifications
Professional development director Wendy Toole
'Since the SfEP introduced accreditation, I no longer feel the need to ask accredited members to complete a test.'
Editorial manager, government/private-sector publishing agency
What is accreditation?
It's a professional qualification awarded to members or associates who pass the accreditation test. It proves you've achieved a high standard of skill and for that reason is best suited to those who already have professional experience. Accreditation is currently available in proofreading.
Accreditation automatically confers advanced membership (but is not the only route to it) and, as a qualification increasingly valued by clients, can bring you many business enquiries.
The accreditation test curriculum is linked to training courses run by both SfEP and the Publishing Training Centre (PTC). It also dovetails with the relevant sections of the National Occupational Standards for Publishing (see 'Occupational standards' on the PTC website).
What is registration?
It's a qualification for which you need accreditation plus 500 hours of experience spread among two or more clients within the past three years. It shows that your competence and reliability have been assessed and endorsed by clients and/or employers. Registration is currently available in proofreading.
Before 2002, accreditation did not exist and there was a different (refereed) route to becoming registered. However, since its introduction in 2002, accreditation has been an essential component of the path to registration.
What is the City & Guilds Licentiateship in Editorial Skills?
Following discussions with the SfEP, City & Guilds have developed the Licentiateship in Editorial Skills. This provides recognition of professional development for individuals who have progressed into more senior roles but often have little in the way of formal acknowledgement of the skills they have or the work they have undertaken. The licentiateship – one of City & Guilds' 'senior awards' – is recognised as a Level 4 qualification, equivalent to a Higher National Diploma (HND).
