Has anyone thought of certification in terms of the shorter route to demonstrated knowledge than a degree? It takes years to get a degree (depending on the program, the interest, the time, the funding, the energy, the schedule, etc., etc.) but you can get a certification in a matter of months. Is the certification industry functioning as a de facto academy? Are we supplanting or supplementing academic degrees? Or are we complementing degree programs?
I can almost hear heads nodding and eyes rolling.
So how are we doing? As usual, some are likely doing better than others. For example, how many of us are actively working with community colleges or technical schools to get their content addressed in the curriculum? How many are working to make sure that the students in these classes are aware that they are not only graduates, but candidates for the corroborating certification that indicates not only did they complete the required courses to end up with a degree, but they paid attention while they were doing it and have a wider grasp of industry concerns, values, challenges, practices, etc., etc.
How many of us have developed programs for our industry supporters to use? Industry, it has been my experience, is decrying the lack or perceived lack or promised lack of talent and the possibility that there will not be enough people to staff their organizations. Growth will stifle while their remaining employees work to capacity. Are there pockets of people (in technical high schools, for example) who don’t really know that there are positions where an appropriate certification may count for more on a resume than a degree in an irrelevant subject?
How about working with industry: are there places where mentorship programs are (a) asking for candidates, or (b) just waiting to be created? Maybe I’ll address mentoring next time.
Questions anyone? Answers?
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