REP

Yeah don't get me started on how much of industry is dominated by this exact conflict of interest between employer and certifier. Employers are totally ignorant of 90% of education standards and qualifications, looking often for certain boxes to be ticked like "time spent working in field". It's nightmarish.

Example from my world:
Because of organizations like the APA, the Therapy scene is completely over-regulated (in stupid ways, mind you) to the point that you get paid about as good as school teachers (or worse). You can't jump into a clinical therapy position without a 6 year degree, 1 year clinical practicum, license to practice, plus at least 2 years of post-graduate probation... just to do basic bitch counseling for some corporate types.

Meanwhile unlicensed non-clinicians maraud around in the private practice scene completely unaccounted for (particularly in psychedelic / ketamine oriented practices), picking up little therapy gigs without any real qualifications because they have the "or 5 years clinical experience". When happy accidents like me happen, it speaks to the increased emphasis on finding even cheaper workers and poaching skilled talent from fresh 4-year graduates and teaching them to work jobs they shouldn't even be touching without another 2 years of school.

We've kind of discounted the importance of education and certification to the point that it works in weird counter-intuitive manners. You need the degree to count, but not to get hired, but you have to have it to enter the job market, except you won't make the cut on the application pile, but also spend all your money and limited time on a degree or you'll never get into this field, kiddo.