The state of certification

When the concept of certification first emerged in the IT industry, it was specifically designed to help those with experience in the industry prove their abilities to employers and themselves.

It certified that a person could do a job. The training - such an important part of certification today - certainly played second fiddle to pure work-based experience.

But, somewhere along the way, something went horribly wrong.

Certification is now seen by many as an accelerated path into the lucrative IT arena - no experience required. Many are disillusioned into believing that certification guarantees a job. The media, as well as industry urban legends of those who landed with their bums in the butter, and some less-reputable training companies that have much to gain by maintaining those legends, support this fallacy.

"Certain unscrupulous training providers held out the promise of high-paying jobs to individuals who attended and passed A+ and MCSE a few years ago," comments Adrian Schofield, international sales and marketing director of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

Certain unscrupulous training providers held out the promise of high-paying jobs to individuals who attended and passed A+ and MCSE a few years ago.

Adrian Schofield, international sales and marketing director, CompTIA

Schofield believes plummeting course prices have exacerbated the problem, as this makes courses more accessible to school-leavers. "They [unscrupulous training providers] have also managed to cause course prices to drop to anything from R999 to R2 500 for A+ and R5 000 for MCSE, from R9 000 for A+ and R30 000 for MCSE a few years ago. [Now] we have many A+ and MCSEs unemployed, and `qualified` individuals with no practical experience or exposure."

As a result, IT certification has been turned on its head. Instead of first getting experience in the field and recognising certification as a means to benefit one`s career, people are seeing certification as an end in itself. The result of this perversion of the original purpose of certification is easily recognisable in an industry with vastly unbalanced skills sets.

One vendor`s courses have been affected more than most - Microsoft`s MCSE is often used as an example of how certification can damage a market. The plethora of inexperienced MCSEs that have flooded the market in recent years has tarnished the image of this course in particular, and the IT certification market in general.

"While approximately three years ago there was a shortage of qualified MCSEs in the South African IT job market, there is now an abundance of MCSEs, but a shortage of experienced MCSEs," says Annelie van Wyk, Datacentrix Holdings group HR director. "In addition to a shortage of MCSEs, with necessary practical experience, the industry also lacks experienced Novell engineers and other software support engineers."

Microsoft recognises the problem. The MCSE, as most other IT courses, was started as a means of certifying those with previous industry experience. "If I had to put a by-line to the MCSE certification, or certification in general, it would be `come certify your experience`," says Wayne Dolton, service readiness manager, Microsoft SA. "Many people don`t seem to realise that certification is a departure point, not a destination."

However, the MCSE has in recent years become the certification of choice for school-leavers, who damaged the market in two ways: they flooded the market with skills, causing a drop in salaries for those with experience, and their incompetence tarnished the image of the MCSE. With no experience, and many passing the exam with the help of "brain dump" Web sites or spoon-feeding trainers, these MCSE-certified school-leavers proved to have poor real-world skills.

"Datacentrix Holdings is often approached by desperate MCSE jobseekers with no industry experience and, sometimes, these graduates even offer us their services without expecting remuneration just in an attempt to obtain the experience which industry demands," says Van Wyk.

Microsoft has taken steps to address the problem. With the introduction of its new operating system, Windows 2000, it took a controversial decision to force MCSE graduates with Windows NT 4 certification to upgrade their certification to the new operating system. Before, Microsoft had always supported the current primary server operating system, as well as one previous generation.

Upgrading the certificate is simple for those who know what they are doing, according to Microsoft. They can simply write the upgrade test - available for free from Microsoft`s site. However, they are only permitted to write the test once, and in the case of failing will be forced to rewrite the entire MCSE course, this time with Windows 2000.

While approximately three years ago there was a shortage of qualified MCSEs in the South African IT job market, there is now an abundance of MCSEs, but a shortage of experienced MCSEs.

Annelie van Wyk, group HR director, Datacentrix Holdings

Although Microsoft says it cannot release pass and fail figures, it believes the new test will weed out the rote learners who do not understand the underlying reasoning for what they do. Questions are now more cognitive, says Microsoft.

"When Windows 2000 came out, it raised the bar on certification," says Dolton. "Today, the questions are complex scenario-based questions, not testing the students` knowledge, but their application of that knowledge. They need to understand how technology applies to a business solution.

"The MCSE exams are now a tougher proposition, but not beyond the reach of the normal person out there," notes Dolton. "We are trying to establish a balance."

Van Wyk says that in order to cater for the pace of the industry`s expansion, it is critical that end-user companies, IT companies, education institutions and the government place an even stronger emphasis on outcomes-based education and training initiatives.

Microsoft still has an uphill battle to address the bad publicity and blackened image that its MCSE has earned itself, but there is another controversial issue dogging the local certification community - that of "fly-by-night" training institutes.

One does not have to search too hard among SA`s IT professionals to find someone who was "burned" by a training institute that was open to take the registration fee one day, and liquidated the next. Many appeared to be financially stable until the last minute, with some attaining a good name in the industry before dissolving into the ether - along with a few unlucky would-be IT professionals` money.

"The recent spate of liquidation of training providers has tarnished the training institutes` image," says Dolton.

Ascertaining which of the IT certification companies are safe investments is not an easy task for the consumer. Theoretically, it is up to the government`s SAQA to accredit training centres, but even government seems stumped at being able to tell which institutes will be open for the next six months.

"The government is struggling with this as well," says Dolton, "and the consumer has a tough problem."

While public companies are the easiest to check up on regarding financial status, the franchise and the privately-held training providers are tougher to judge. With a franchise, the satellite institutes could have quality problems, although the backing by a larger company can offer some financial stability. The private training companies are the most risky to invest money in, as there is no reliable way of checking their financial viability or standard of training.

Many people don`t seem to realise that certification is a departure point, not a destination.

Wayne Dolton, service readiness manager, Microsoft SA

Schofield suggests the following prerequisites to help identify a training institute of high calibre from a potentially dangerous one: "A training provider must spend time with each individual to identify which certification would assist him or her to further their career or start a career in the industry. The training provider must set prerequisite standards and enforce these on applicants. Smaller classes and more practical exposure make a big difference. A `fly-by-night` training provider can immediately be identified by very low course prices and large classes.

"Membership of an industry association and a thorough knowledge of the legislation surrounding education and training are good indicators of a worthwhile player, as is a willingness to give references from satisfied clients and employers," he adds.

The problem needs to be addressed by the industry, and some are trying to stimulate discussion among the players - vendors, training providers and customers - to find ways of assuring the public that the training company that they choose is a safe investment.

Until the situation is rectified, the certification industry will continue to be dogged by its mixed reputation. Until the public recognises that certification requires a balance of experience to make it worthwhile, the industry will continue to struggle with an imbalance between supply and demand.

Certification seems to be at a critical point at the moment - choosing the correct direction from its current point will benefit all concerned.

"Certification did help me," says Microsoft`s Dolton, "not to get a job, but in my job."