Skill Standards, Certification

and Assessment for

Technicians in the Information
& Communications
Technology (ICT) Industries
 Topics
 Current State
 Certification
Overview
 ICT Skill Standards
 Phases of research
 Status of research
 Current State In IT Workforce Marketplace
CompTIA et al.

Industry IT Employers
Certifications
Demand

Schools IT Equipment Suppliers

Academic Worker IT Products/Brands

Delivery and Specifications
Credentialing

Supply

IT Workers
Worker specifications are central to the market system and typically include:
1) Experience in an occupational skill set
2) Educational credentials
3) Product specific training, knowledge, experience, certifications
4) Industry certifications
 Current State In IT Workforce Marketplace
CompTIA et al.
Lack of clarity in what
Industry IT Employers
they are getting
Certifications
Demand

Schools IT Equipment Suppliers

Academic Worker IT Products/Brands

Delivery and Specifications
Credentialing
Lack of clarity in what to
deliver
Supply
Lack of clarity in where
IT Workers they are going
 Worker Competency Leveling
CompTIA
and Other
J
o
Industry
b Specialization Level 3- Certifications

E Mastery
x
p
e Specialization Level 2-Full Working
r
i
e
n
c
Specialization Level 1-Foundational
e

Core Competency Personal And Technical Skills For Entry

Into Specialization Areas

Basic Personal And Technical Skills For Entry Level Employment In IT

ECDL
CertiPort
MOUS
 Audiences Industry
Support Job
Placement Small Employers
Organizations Services Businesses

Fortune 1000;
Counselors; Government
Parents

Certifying ICT Vendors;

Bodies OEM

ICT
Unemployed; ICT Training
Career Changers Providers

ICT Professionals K-12 Schools

New Entrants Colleges; Learning

Universities
ICT Workers Institutions
 Stakeholder Goals
IT Employers
•Shorter time to competency for workforce
and assurance of high quality work.
•Better payback for training dollar
•More consistency in worker performance
through certification
•Pay for demonstrated performance

IT Workers IT Educational Community

•Greater clarity in career paths •Produce industry ready workers
•Better training with OJT component •Closer linkages with employers
•Diplomas and Certifications •New product opportunity
The Current Process Of Schooling Entry Level IT Workers
(New Entrants) Begin to learn a job
Worker readiness for
employment Job Placement

Graduation

Possible Participation In An
Internship

Classroom Instruction and Labs

Choice of an IT Related Major

Entry into College, Technical

School Or University

Possibly Some IT Training In High

School

Scope
 Certification Mission
• Set industry-wide, globally accepted
standards for IT core skills and foundation
competencies
• Maximize efficiency in recruiting, hiring,
training and promoting employees
• Create and promote a reliable predictor of
employee success
• Meet the needs of today's IT workforce by
certifying individuals with transferable skills
• Provide job seekers identifiable career paths
and credentials that are industry recognized
• Create the standards necessary for
educators and trainers to better prepare
individuals to meet today's IT related job
requirements
 3 Most Important Reasons for
Certification
Other

Access Priority Support from Vendor

Assess Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Requirement/Improve Job Security

Increase Credibility

Increase Compensation

Find a Job

Switch Job

Prepare for New Position

Increase Productivity

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Most Important Second Most Important Third Most Important Total

 Benefits of Certified Staff

Other 8.3%

Consistency 37.4%

Credibility 60.8%

Ability to sell a bigger/broader solution 28.3%

Lowers costs 17.1%

Helps attract/retain staff 34.2%

Access to vendor information/support 35.6%

Higher level of service 63.6%

Competitive advantage 58.8%

Increased productivity/tasks completed quicker 57.1%

0.0% 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0

% % % % % % % %
 Drawbacks of Certified Staff

Other 9.3%

Certified staff may leave

42.6%
the organization

They cost more than

24.5%
non-certified staff

Too much time away

23.1%
from the office

Cost of certification
39.6%
testing

Cost of training 54.5%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0%

Has employer rewarded you for gaining
your certification?

Yes
1999 24%
32%
Something Else
19%

8%
Other Benefit
12%
N=2652
No 17%
Promotion
76%
26%

35%
2001 Yes
New Responsibilities
48%
34%
43%
Increased Salary
66%

No 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

66%

1999
2001
Certification Program Elements
  Business / education goals
  Funding model
  Definition of certification
  Defined audience
  Linkage to partner or accreditation programs
  Defined benefits for certification
  Criteria for product / subject inclusion
  Testing and scoring goals
  Legal policies
  Development plan
  Implementation plan
  Marketing / communications plan
  Compliance plan
  Recertification / maintenance plan
– Evaluation / reporting plan
 Certification
Product Life Cycle

Market Job Task Cert.

Needs Analysis Blueprint

Research Surveys Test Forms

Membership Focus Psychometrics
Driven Groups
Beta Testing
Skills (Gap) Industry
Definition Cornerstone
Data
Approval
Stakeholder Content
Consensus Legal
Mapping
Defensibility
 Certification
Product Life Cycle (cont.)

Exam
Maintenance Revision
Launch

Global Quality Advisory

Delivery Control Committee
Driven
Localization Security
Market
Proven Performance
Performance
Delivery Reviews
Channels Psychometrics
Item
Training Maintenance JTA Update
Support
 Industry Needs
Microsoft Novell Cisco Other

Certifications

Compute Desktop Fundame

r Applicati ntal
Concept ons Skills
s Schooling
National ICT Skill
Standards Project
 Governance
 Lead by Voluntary Partnerships
Business leaders
Educators
Labor leaders
State officials
Interest groups
 Research by VP and technical team
CompTIA is VP lead, other VP Members
include:

• ITAA • Microsoft
• GWEC • HP
• NWCET • Cisco
• IBM • Novell
• CWA • North Carolina
• Lucent • Courseware Pubs.
 Scope
 Skill Standards

 Certification Tests

 Key Jobs
 Specialty

Concentration

Core

Specialty Core+1 Certificate Specialty

Certificates Certificates
About Skill
Standards
 About Skill Standards
A skill standard is a description of the work activities
to be performed, how well the work must be
performed and the level of knowledge and skill
required to perform that work.
 About Skill Standards
Work Worker
Describes the Work Describes Worker
Critical Work Knowledge & Skills
Functions Academic & Employability
Skills
Key Activities
Occupational & Technical
Performance Knowledge & Skills
Indicators
Phases of
Research
Three Phases of Research
1a. Define the Industry
 Telephony
 Internet Service Providers
 System Integrators
 Cable
 Wireless
 Satellite
 Software
 Broadcast, Radio and TV
Three Phases of Research
1b. Develop Concentrations
 Network Operations
 Database
 Programming
 Field Operations
 Technical Support
 Web Development
 Digital Media
 Technical Writer
 Three Phases of Research
2. Develop the Work & Worker
Components
 Thought leaders

 Senior expert focus groups

 Worker focus groups

 Three Phases of Research
1. National Survey
 Gather ratings to validate
focus group findings
 Three surveys
 CWF-KA
 OTKS
 High Performance Work Group
 Target sample size = 1,500
per concentration
 Reviews and Approvals
 ERP review and approval
 Voluntary Partnership review
and approval
 NSSB review and approval

 30 days of public comment

Status of
Research
 Status of Research

Completed:
Phase 1a - Industry definition

Phase 1b - Concentration definition

Phase 2 – Develop work & worker components

 Status of Research:
Concentrations
 Network  Technical
Operations Support
 Database  Web
Development
 Programming
 Digital Media
 Technical Writer
Status of Research: Future
Work

 Phase 2b – We have issues

 Phase 3 – National validation survey

 Phase 3 - A&E validation

 Status of Research: Current
Issues
Phase 2b
Technical Support & Field Operations
Web Development & Network Operations
Digital Media & Technical Writer
More telecommunications
More refined OTKS
Align other skill standards
Status of Research: National Validation
Survey
Phase 3
Gather ratings to validate focus group
findings
Three surveys
 CWF-KA
 OTKS
 High Performance Work Group
Target sample size = 1,500 per concentration
We are already developing
tools…
for the Industry to manage
workforce performance and
training

for the Individual to enable

management of careers

for the
Trainers and Certifying Bodies
to plan curricula to meet industry
requirements
 [Link]

Jobs & Skills: Career Guidance Tools:

Jobs & Alternate Names Career Paths
Essential Work Functions Higher Level Careers
Skills & Knowledge & Tasks IT Career Fit Assessment
Training & Vendor Links Workplace Readiness Assessment
Certifications & Vendor Links IT Job Match Assessment Success Sharing:
Certifications & Vendor Links Photographs
Skill Gap Analysis
A&E Skills Videos
Job Bank Links
Education & Experience Cybercasts
Links to Approved Trainer by Area
Interviews
Testimonials
HR Tools:
Performance Reviews
360 Degree Feedback Tool
Individual Development Plans
General Information:
Training Sponsored: ICT Industry Overview
K-16 Programs Marketing Materials
College Level Programs Value of Certification
Models & Programs Vendor Neutrality
Salary Statistics
A Day in the Life…
Industry Sponsored: Articles & News
Website Support:
Resume Matching Research
Comments Capture
Apprenticeships Press Releases
Question Capture
Internships Legislation
Database Maintenance
Tutoring Pending Regulations
Search
Online Mentors ICT Jargon Defined
CompTIA Home Page Links
Expert Chats Skill Standards Defined
Printable Versions
FAQs
 Project Mission
Our mission is to: explore ICT certification and assessment system
built on job roles as an approach for:

1) increasing the supply of competent IT workers in US and

Denmark
2) facilitating the cost-effective attainment of IT worker
competency leading to new entrants becoming “industry
ready” in a shorter period of time,
3) providing a “best practices” methodology for adding new skill
sets to IT existing workers and/or migrating existing workers
to new specializations within IT,
4) ensuring the competency and quality of IT workers through
industry certification, and
5) clarifying the career paths, skill sets and professional
standards of IT workers.

While the terms “explore and assess” imply a research orientation, we

will add product development and marketing dimensions.
 Benefits

More competent technicians

Greater competitiveness
Up-to-date curricula
Source of skilled technicians
Compare “high performance” level to
others
Questions?
[Link]

John Engman
630-678-8352
Jengman@[Link]