Realtime captioning is an in demand skill for court reporters, and they have been seeking training in captioning in increasing numbers. Thus, the Board of Directors of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) recently approved combining two types of certifications into a single one known as Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC). The previous certifications included:
- Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC)
- Certified Cart Provider (CCP)
Providing the CRC option will allow those who possess it to present themselves as among the most elite and qualified court reporters. The NCRA will both provide training in realtime captioning and educate the public on the benefits of this new certification. In addition to providing the certification, the NCRA wants to provide you with the tools to succeed as a Certified Realtime Captioner.
Training will commence at the NCRA’s 2015 Convention & Expo, although all CBCs and CCPs will have their new CRC certification by January 1, 2016. Candidates will be required to both attend a captioning workshop that includes a written exam and a skills exam. The skills exam will require realtime dictation based on literary material at 180 wpm. You can take this exam before attending the workshop if you wish.
You must be an NCRA member in good standing to register for the CRC. Once you have this certification, you will need to earn at least 3.0 CEUs from the NCRA over a three-year period to maintain your CRC.
Your certification will be made publicly available by listings in these places:
- Journal of Court Reporting
- Court Reporter Sourcebook
- The NCRA website
This new type of certification should increase your job opportunities as the field of realtime captioning continues to take off.