Other organizations have developed similar lists. Similarly, Stasz et al. While we argue that the conceptualization of professional skills is a useful benchmark against which to measure systems of industry-based skill standards, systems of professional standards and certification also have many critics. Some of the criticisms of the skill components model such its narrow conceptualization of skills and the proliferation of job titles and categories are echoed in discussions about professional skills and certification. Nowlen represents an emerging school of thought that emphasized an understanding of professionals in relationship to the complex environments in which they practice.
Competence is much more than an abstract set of knowledge and skills.
Nowlen are in effect suggesting that the education of professionals does not always live up to the professional model. In the professions, this is often justified as a response to the increasing volume of knowledge and the inability of any individual to master that knowledge over even a moderate range of substantive domains. The search for status and prestige or political struggles about control over occupational entry also provides incentives for the establishment of subcategories. This can be illustrated by the case of skill certification for appraisers. There are eleven different industry and trade associations which provide training and certification.