CompTIA-and-the-Need-for-Certification

Not many people would question the need for Computer Engineering students to
work toward A+ certification - or so I
thought until seeing some of the responses to a survey we recently conducted on
the subject. The results so far indicate students who sit for the exams have a
pretty good success rate - but not that many students sit for the exams while
they’re still in the CE courses.



Most teachers who responded say they believe certification is important or very
important for students who are going to pursue jobs or careers in IT. But a
substantial number of students in the courses have no such plans. And others
face financial barriers or are ‘just not ready’ before the end of the school
year. So what can be done?



CompTIA, the non-profit industry organization behind
A+ certification (as well as Network+,
Server+, Linux+ and a host of others), is working hard to get more students
certified. Their Education to Careers (E2C) program spearheads that effort,
offering benefits and services to educational institutions and non-profits.



E2C Business Development Manager Alan Rowland was at NCDPI’s Summer Conference
to talk about a partnership between CompTIA and NCDPI. Through it, North
Carolina’s high school IT teachers can get free vouchers for one certification
per year, and they can get discounted vouchers for students.



The discounts are substantial. Each A+ exam (you must pass two) normally costs
$168, but the E2C vouchers are $74 for an A+ exam. The cost is $118 vs. the
normal $232 for Network+, Server+, Linux+ and Project+.



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In addition, testing partner Vue is letting schools set up their own testing
centers for no charge. This lets students take the exams conveniently, and with
less anxiety. CompTIA Press is planning academic version of CompTIA Press
textbook. There’s a free Tech Career Compass website (that’s worth a whole other
blog post… LOTS of stuff there.) They send newsletters, offer webinars, and
support SkillsUSA.



Alan stresses that certification is valuable because it’s based on a set of
standards - not just COMpTIA’s but from industry reps of subject matter groups
they convene to identify the standards. “We’re more the caretaker of those
objectives,” he says. Certification provides an ‘economic passport’ that is
generally recognized across borders, based on recognized standards so that
differences in educational curriculums or philosophies are minimized.



Certification can a give students some instant credibility and respect in the
workplace, more prestige, increased knowledge, better job satisfaction.
Employers find it valuable because it lowers the cost of training, recruiting
and hiring, and increases productivity due to skilled workers. It gives a
company a greater return on their investment when they hire someone, because
they believe they’re hiring someone with great credentials.



“Certification puts students on a viable career path, leading to higher level
positions,” Alan says. But how do you convince students to take the exams? He
has several suggestions:



Start early. Let them know right off the bat that the objective in this class is
to get them to certification.



Set a goal for the class. The goal is to actively prepare for and sit for a
certification exam at the end of the semester. Make it competitive.



Spread the word. Make sure others in the school and parents understand the class
goals and make them supportive of it. Explain the importance of this to the
parents and they’ll suppor it. Espsecially if they’re involved in the technology
industry.



Start a certification testing center at your school. Reduces anxiety, makes it
convenient. Do this early in the semester. VUE charges nothing.



Stress Soft Skills. Embed these in your class. Don’t ignore them! These are
basic common sense items, but you need to start them thinking about them in the
IT context… customer service, ethics, dealing with co-workers, etc. “It’s
important to help your students become good communicators because that will help
them stand out from students who are not.”



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