Funeral Services Training

Funeral services care for the living and the dead.

The funeral services profession requires business acumen and a caregiving nature. Funeral homes employ funeral directors, coffin bearers, embalmers, counselors, operators, drivers and secretaries, all of whom are expected to possess skills that meet a nationally recognized standard. All the roles are interdependent and there is some crossover in duties. A career in this field begins with academic training and practical experience.

Vocation

Confronting death and bereavement every day in a businesslike manner is challenging, so be sure before you commence training that the funeral services field is your calling. Careers guidance website Connexions Direct notes that funeral directors may average 39 hours a week at work, but they have to be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is not a job that can be easily switched on and off.

The role of a funeral director is requires a special combination of business savvy and compassion. The International Conference of Funeral Services Examining Boards (ICFSEB) describes it as "serving the living while caring for the dead." The training for funeral services equips you for this job.

National Qualifications

ICFSEB explains that the modern funeral services student will have intensive courses in technical and scientific work (including microbiology, pathology, anatomy, embalming and restorative art), business management and bereavement counseling. Funeral Services Education and Mortuary Sciences has 56 degree programs recognized by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), the sole accrediting agency for academic programs that prepare funeral service professionals. The agency reviews programs every seven years to ensure standards continue to be met.

Practical Experience

In addition to academic training, people preparing to enter the funeral services profession should undertake practical work experience in the form of a short placement, an internship or an apprenticeship in a funeral home. Once you start working at a funeral home, the chances of staying with that firm are strong. Work experience is therefore the advisable next step after completing an ABFSE-accredited college program.

Scholarship Programs

A national scholarship program is available from the ABFSE, established in the 1960s to give financial assistance to students fully enrolled in Funeral Services Education and Mortuary Science programs. These scholarships range between $500 and $2,500 per academic year. The ABFSE pays the scholarship directly to the academic institution on behalf of the student. The scholarship program is extremely competitive.

Employment Prospects

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the United States has 20,915 funeral homes, so there is always a need for well-trained funeral service professionals. Demand is great for graduates who have covered all the courses in technical work, business management and counseling that make up an accredited program.

References

• National Funeral Directors Association: Exploring a Career in Funeral Service
• Connexions Direct: Funeral Director Job Profile
• International Conference of Funeral Services Examining Boards: A Career in Funeral Service
• American Board of Funeral Service Education: Directory of Programs 2010
• American Board of Funeral Service Education: Scholarship Information