Training-skills recognition delivers rewards

Citation

(2003), "Training-skills recognition delivers rewards", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.2003.00327aab.011

Training-skills recognition delivers rewards

Training-skills recognition delivers rewards

The need for IT training is understood by all of those involved in the modern technology-driven world. But it needs to develop and evolve and for this, "certification is crucial to its success," says Martin Milner, marketing director of EMEA, Thomson Prometric.

So why are so many organizations still not validating their IT training investment by demanding integrated training, plus certification?

"One reason may be the myth that, once certified, valued employees will leave," said Martin Milner. "However, the facts demonstrate the opposite to be true. In 2001, Thomson Prometric – along with Cisco Systems, CompTIA, IBM and Prosoft – contracted with Gartner Consulting to conduct a full study into training and certification. More than 17,800 IT specialists, at all levels across the globe, took part in the research. Key findings included the fact that more than 70 per cent had not changed employers since certification – and that employee commitment to employer had improved."

John Healey, UK minister for adult skills, said at a recent e-skills summit: "Information and communication technologies (ICT) are the defining technologies of our generation. More than 21 million people – three-quarters of the nation's workforce – use computers at work and around a million of these are ICT professionals. Employer demand for a workforce with top-notch skills will continue."

The IT industry has a complete certification architecture that enables employee and employer to see exactly what level of skill an individual is at – and build a clear staff-development strategy.

"There is an enormous amount of damage that a user – often without realizing it – can do to your network, both in terms of resilience and performance," said Martin Milner, "and unlicensed IT professionals have the capacity to do far more damage. Conversely, certified staff are not only more productive – but experience greater access to vendor backup to support their needs.

"Certification is not only a real bonus for IT and HR specialists, it also makes total sense for the finance department. Anyone can attend a training course and come away with a certificate of attendance, yet an IT certification from a recognized vendor shows that the employee did not only attend, but also absorbed knowledge he or she can then use in a business.

"And when considering that the cost of testing is often less than 5 per cent of the training cost, it really should become a standard requirement and not an optional extra".

"Certification has developed tremendously," adds Martin Milner, "and these advances enable effective testing to be delivered at lower cost and with greater rigour than previously. More importantly, today's certification programmes work with real-world simulations to validate skills in all key IT areas".

"Verification that a specific skill exists within an individual has been a costly process, and that is why certification programmes rely totally on computer-based testing – making the immediate verification of skills at low cost a reality."