IT certification bodies report that the demand for IT training certification is down by as much as 46% compared to a year ago. However, the number of students obtaining an International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) has doubled over the same period.
In an article posted on ITWeb (18 July 2002), Wynand du Plessis, director of Oracle University South Africa, states: "Fewer South Africans are sitting for certification exams in the IT industry despite the on-going demand for such training and skills."
Du Plessis goes on to explore why: "The level of education provided by some institutions does not equip students adequately and they either drop out of the course, or do not feel confident enough to sit the accreditation exams."
The situation is made worse by the issue of misleading and sometimes fraudulent `in-house` certificates. Employers who are not well informed and do not know the difference between unauthorised certificates and the genuine article, now trust neither. The ICDL, on the other hand, has gained credibility because it does not allow for the issue of in-house certificates.
Peter Waker, CEO of the ICDL Foundation, comments on the success of the ICDL certification: "Having only started in 1999, we were fortunate that we could learn from the experiences of others. We have seen how other IT qualifications lost value because of misleading certificates, and have insisted that candidates can only get recognition for the ICDL by sitting and passing international examinations."
The foundation employs a full-time legal advisor to help maintain these standards by ensuring all accreditations are in-line with ICDL regulations and by keeping an eye out for any fraudulent activity.
"We have so far come across two organisations issuing fraudulent certificates", explains Waker. In both cases, the organisation has collected all unauthorised certificates and handed them over to the ICDL Foundation for destruction.
Founded seven years ago in Finland, the ICDL has spread across the globe and is now recognised in over 50 countries worldwide. In Southern Africa, the ICDL is regulated and administered by the ICDL Foundation of SA. The certification comprises of seven modules encompassing the main areas of end-user computing. An ICDL can be completed at any of the 10 000 accredited centres worldwide, which have undergone a strict site inspection and have agreed to adhere to the ICDL Foundation`s standards and regulations.
In just over three years, the ICDL Foundation of South Africa has issued close on 45 000 Skills Log Books. Worldwide, the ICDL has registered more than two million students.
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