# Presentation: 053782

## 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 

- IT Employers

- Demand

- IT Workers

- Worker Specifications

- Supply

- Schools

- Academic Delivery and Credentialing

- IT Products/Brands

- IT Equipment Suppliers

- 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

- Industry Certifications

- CompTIA et al.

## Current State In IT Workforce Marketplace 

- IT Employers

- Demand

- IT Workers

- Worker Specifications

- Supply

- Schools

- Academic Delivery and Credentialing

- IT Products/Brands

- IT Equipment Suppliers

- Industry Certifications

- CompTIA et al.

*Lack of clarity in what they are getting*

*Lack of clarity in where they are going*

*Lack of clarity in what to deliver*

## Worker Competency Leveling

- Basic Personal And Technical Skills For Entry Level Employment In IT

*Core Competency Personal And Technical Skills For Entry Into Specialization Areas*

- Specialization Level 1-Foundational

- Specialization Level 2-Full Working

- Specialization Level 3-Mastery

- CompTIA and Other Industry Certifications

- Job Experience

- ECDL
- CertiPort
- MOUS

## Audiences

-  Support
- Organizations

- ICT Workers

- Learning
- Institutions

- Industry Employers

- ICT

- ICT Vendors;
- OEM

- Fortune 1000;
- Government

- Small
- Businesses

- Job
- Placement
- Services

- Counselors;
- Parents

- Certifying
- Bodies

- ICT Training
- Providers

- Unemployed;
- Career Changers

- ICT Professionals

- New Entrants

- Colleges;
- Universities

- K-12 Schools

## Stakeholder Goals 

- 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 Employers_

- _IT Workers_

- _IT Educational Community_

- Greater clarity in career paths
- Better training with OJT component
- Diplomas and Certifications

- Produce industry ready workers
- Closer linkages with employers
- New product opportunity

## 

- Possibly Some IT Training In High School

- Entry into College, Technical School Or University

- Choice of an IT Related Major

- Classroom Instruction and Labs

- Possible Participation In An Internship

- Job Placement

- Scope

**The Current Process Of Schooling Entry Level IT Workers   (New Entrants)**

**Worker readiness for employment**

- Graduation

- Begin to learn a job

## 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

**Notes:**
C Question
Assessing knowledge, skills and abilities was mentioned most often among the top three most important reasons for certification

## Benefits of Certified Staff

**Notes:**
ITM Question: Benefits of Certified Staff

NOTES
Benefits with the most mentions varies by region

Americas:  Credibility
EMEA: Higher Level of Service
Asia/Pacific:  Competitive Advantage

However Higher Level of Service received highest number of mentions overall

## Drawbacks of Certified Staff

**Notes:**
ITM Question: Drawbacks of Certified Staff

NOTES:
Need to provide cost justification to managers - cost/benefit analysis.

## Has employer rewarded you for gaining your certification?

**New Responsibilities**

**Notes:**
AC Question 12a:  Did your employer reward you for gaining your certification? 

AC Question 12v:  If Q12A equals 1 (yes): How has your employer rewarded you for gaining certification? Please check all that apply. 

NOTE:
Yes increased from 24% last year
Only 21% of Government respondents were rewarded
44% of Hardware reseller/consultant respondents were rewarded
66% of those who changed employers had not been rewarded for becoming certified, but this was the same percentage for those who did not change employers.

Salary: Increased by 23% since last year
70% of Corporate respondents who were rewarded indicated a salary increase. 
This is the most common reward method across all employer types

New Responsibilities: Increased by 13% since last year

Promotion:  Increased by 9% since last year

Other Benefits: Increased by 4% since last year

Something Else:  Decreased by 13% since last year

## 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 Needs

- Job Task Analysis

- Cert. Blueprint

- Research
- Membership Driven
- Skills (Gap) Definition
- Stakeholder Consensus

- Surveys
- Focus Groups
- Industry Data
- Content Mapping

- Test Forms
- Psychometrics
- Beta Testing
- Cornerstone Approval
- Legal Defensibility

## Certification Product Life Cycle (cont.)

- Exam Launch

- Maintenance

- Revision

- Global Delivery
- Localization
- Proven Delivery Channels
- Training Support

- Quality Control
- Security
- Performance Reviews
- Item Maintenance

- Advisory Committee Driven
- Market Performance
- Psychometrics
- JTA Update

## Industry Needs

**Computer Concepts**

**Desktop Applications**

**Fundamental       Skills**

**Novell**

**Other**

**Microsoft**

**Cisco**

**Industry Needs**

**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

## ITAA
GWEC
NWCET
IBM
CWA
Lucent

- GWEC
- NWCET
- IBM
- CWA
- Lucent

- Microsoft
- HP
- Cisco
- Novell
- North Carolina
- Courseware Pubs.

- CompTIA is VP lead, other VP Members include:

##  Scope

- Skill Standards
- Certification Tests
- Key Jobs

## Specialty

**Specialty**

**Core**

**Core+1 Certificate**

**Specialty**
**Certificates**

**Specialty**
**Certificates**

**Concentration**

**Notes:**
Where is all this going?

The end result is not skill standards!  The end result is a system of certifications which will serve workers and employers.  Workers will be able to prove what they know and are able to do, and employers will be able to find the workers they need with the appropriate skills.  Training groups will be able to provide the training for workers to pass there certifications.

The current idea is that the voluntary partnerships will develop core+ certifications and industry will continue to develop what are called specialty certifications.  For example we will have core IT/Telecommunications certifications, but vendor-specific certifications such as CISCO and MSCE will be specialty.  

The NSSB does not want to compete in any way with industry certifications.

## 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_
- _Describes the Work_
- Critical Work Functions
- Key Activities
- Performance Indicators

- _Worker_
- _Describes Worker Knowledge & Skills_
- Academic & Employability Skills
- Occupational & Technical Knowledge & Skills

## Phases of Research

## Three Phases of Research

- Telephony
- Internet Service Providers
- System Integrators
- Cable
- Wireless
- Satellite
- Software
- Broadcast, Radio and TV

- 1a.  Define the Industry

## Three Phases of Research

- Network Operations
- Database
- Programming
- Field Operations
- Technical Support
- Web Development
- Digital Media
- Technical Writer

- 1b. Develop Concentrations

## Three Phases of Research

- 2. Develop the Work & Worker Components
- Thought leaders
- Senior expert focus groups
- Worker focus groups

## Three Phases of Research

- 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 Operations
- Database
- Programming
- Technical Writer

- Technical Support
- Web Development
- Digital Media

## 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 _[Individual](slide25.xml)_ to enable management of careers
- for the _[Trainers and Certifying Bodies](slide27.xml)__[ ](slide27.xml)__to plan curricula to meet industry requirements_

## TCC.COMPTIA.ORG

- ICT Industry Overview
- Marketing Materials
- Value of Certification
- Vendor Neutrality
- Salary Statistics
- A Day in the Life...
- Articles & News
- Research
- Press Releases
- Legislation
- Pending Regulations
- ICT Jargon Defined
- Skill Standards Defined

**Jobs & Skills:**
- Jobs & Alternate Names
- Essential Work Functions
- Skills & Knowledge & Tasks
- Training & Vendor Links
- Certifications & Vendor Links
- Certifications & Vendor Links
- A&E Skills
- Education & Experience

**Career Guidance Tools:**
- Career Paths
- Higher Level Careers
- IT Career Fit Assessment
- Workplace Readiness Assessment
- IT Job Match Assessment
- Skill Gap Analysis
- Job Bank Links
- Links to Approved Trainer by Area

**Training Sponsored:**
- K-16  Programs
- College Level Programs
- Models & Programs

**Success Sharing:**
- Photographs
- Videos
- Cybercasts
- Interviews
- Testimonials

**Website Support:**
- Comments Capture
- Question Capture
- Database Maintenance
- Search
- CompTIA Home Page Links
- Printable Versions
- FAQs

**Industry Sponsored:**
- Resume Matching
- Apprenticeships
- Internships
- Tutoring
- Online Mentors
- Expert Chats

**HR Tools:**
- Performance Reviews
- 360 Degree Feedback Tool
- Individual Development Plans

##  Project Mission

- Our mission is to: explore ICT certification and assessment system built on job roles as an approach for:
- increasing the supply of competent IT workers in US and Denmark
- 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?

- www.comptia.org
- John Engman
- 630-678-8352
- Jengman@comptia.org