A British project was conducted to improve understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of certification for work-based training and to analyze factors that influence the demand for accreditation. Three studies investigated what was happening in three employment sectors: tourism (service/commercial), social services (public administration), and the chemical industry (process manufacture). The methodology in each study involved a review of literature relevant to accreditation in general and to training in the employment sector and selection of the sample of individual employers. Employer data were obtained by interview, employee data by questionnaire with follow-up interviews. Respondents were as follows: tourism--30 employers, 35 employees, 0 employees interviewed; social services--30 employers, 122 employees, 30 employees interviewed; chemical--29 employers, 20 employees, 1 employee interviewed. Findings indicated that, for some jobs/skills, there was a commonly accepted form of training, sometimes accredited, sometimes not. Employers and employees found it difficult to say what added value accreditation gave or what benefit accreditation might give, if it was not. Benefits to the individual were as follows: transfer value/career advancement, mobility, job security, self-confidence, pride, job satisfaction, and personal fulfillment. Organizational benefits included the following: improved productivity and profitability, employee motivation, industrial relations, formation of a learning company, and management style. A taxonomy that classified the reasons for training was developed. Some disadvantages of accreditation were identified: the possibility of failure, cost and administration, time, and the consequences of raising the stakes. (YLB)