The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Africa is adamant about the role companies and training providers can play in helping to eradicate the issue of attendance certificates. These documents offer no reflection of the candidate`s ability and can harm relations between the employer and prospective employee.
According to Loraine Vorster, the Association is making headway in the fight to eradicate the prolific distribution of internally produced certificates, claiming competence in a certain area, within the ICT industry.
"It is a challenge, but we are making progress in our attempt to increase awareness that an attendance certificate does nothing to prove the worth of a candidate. Other than the fact that the person attended training, it offers no definite evidence of how proficient he or she is with regard to skills. The whole point of training is to ensure a candidate can enter the industry with a certain level of knowledge, and a certificate is the most accurate, credible and effective method of proving this, provided that the certificate is issued once the skill level has been assessed against a recognised standard," says Vorster.
A significant part of the association`s certification marketing campaign is to approach employers directly with the aim of gaining their commitment towards the certification of staff. The idea is that the more companies insist on proof of skills acumen through certification, the more positive spin-offs will materialise within the industry at large.
"As an industry-representative organisation we would like to stress the importance behind certification in the IT market. We are committed to ensuring the best possible practices and standards within the ICT sector, and certification is really the most effective means of providing credibility, quality assurance and recognition of achievement. CompTIA will continue to partner with training providers and corporations who value quality and high standards to restore the value of certification and force the fly-by-night operations out of business. We need the input and buy-in of our corporate partners and training provider members in order to ensure quality training and put an end to exploitation of individuals," says Vorster.
According to Vorster, SA is one of very few countries in the world in which training providers often fail to encourage students to actively pursue certification to support their training.
"There are many cases in which students are presented with an attendance certificate and are misled into believing this document will somehow help them get a foot in the door. This is not only a problem in itself, but has several negative consequences. The candidate is ill prepared to enter the market, has unrealistic expectations and very little information and will have a very negative first-hand experience with regard to the job application process. The other side of the coin is that employers are frustrated in not being able to adequately fill positions and experience diminishing faith in IT training provision which further widens the gap between these two vital role-players," she says.
CompTIA urges employers to verify the validity of certificates tendered by prospective employees. An individual claiming to be, for instance, A+ certified, must be in possession of a CompTIA A+ certificate. CompTIA has created an Internet-based database where employers will soon be able to verify any CompTIA certification. In the meantime, employers are invited to contact the CompTIA Africa office to verify certifications.
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