IT Certification Solutions Preparing Students for Jobs in the 21 st Century

1. IT Certification SolutionsPreparing Students for Jobsin the 21st Century Fran Weaver Course Technology fran.weaver@course.com

2. Agenda • Why Certification? • Key Benefits of Certification • Who Are the Players? • What Are the Certifications? • The Facts & Salary Statistics • How Can We Help You?

3. Why? The Benefits • Proof of skills • In demand by employers • Increased enrollments in training programs • High placement rates and salaries – students WILL get jobs! • Many employers pay for certification training

4. Impact of Certification • Standard benchmark for assessing skills • Lowers employer training costs • Higher efficiency and productivity • “ 78% of companies experienced more productivity from their certified employees and 92% realized financial benefits by having certificate holders on staff ” survey by Int’l. Data Corp.

5. The Need There are more than 1.6 million new IT jobs this year in the US • An estimated half of those jobs will be unfilled just because there aren’t enough IT professionals in the workforce Information Technology Assn. of America study “Bridging the Gap: Information Technology Skillsfor a New Millennium” August 2000

6. The Need There has never been a better time to be in IS – unless you’re a manager looking to fill a job. PC Week, 5/27/96

7. Top 5 Reasons to Get Certified • Get a raise 56% report pay increases upon certification • Get your foot in the door • Increase skills and knowledge Enhances on-the-job effectiveness • Gain respect • Land the choice assignments

8. Who Are The Players? • 80+ certification programs now test competency from databases to hardware • Microsoft • Novell • Cisco Systems • CompTIA • Oracle • Chauncey/NWCET • Linux Professional Institute • Sair/GNU

9. What Are The Certifications? Microsoft Office UserSpecialist Program

10. MOUS Certification • Performance-based testing program designed to validate front office desktop computers skills • Measures proficiency and efficiency in Office 2000 and 97 applications • Over 150 million registered MS Office users worldwide • 190,000+ MOUS exams administered since 1998 • Administering 16,000+ tests per month • New exams: Project 2000, Outlook 2000 • AI (Authorized Instructor) Certification • As of October 2000: 1,000+ worldwide

11. MOUSCertification Levels

12. Bell South Boeing - McDonnel Douglas - Rockwell Canon USA / Imaging City National Bank Crowe, Chizek Accounting Dial Corporation EDS Federal Reserve Bank ATL Federal Reserve Bank MN Fluor FileNet Fort Worth Star-Telegram Gateway Computers Getty Museum HP Hughes Harley Davidson Ingram - Micro Kimberly Clark Microsoft Northrup Grumman Pacific Northwest Labs (Dept of Energy) State Farm Insurance SAIC Southern California Edison Southwest Airlines States: MO, PA, MD, IL, UT, WV, WA Toshiba Toyota TRW CompaniesEndorsing MOUS

13. Pepperdine MBA program Bellevue CC Central Wyoming College Cuyahoga CC Delaware Tech & CC Frederick CC Hudson Valley CC Illinois Central College Joliet Junior College Loyalist College Miami - Jacobs College Muskegon CC Patrick Henry CC Portland CC Santa Barbara City College Vatterott College Bucknell University Liberty University Marshall University Penn State University Sam Houston State University Shenandoah University University of Alaska University of Montana University of North Dakota University of the Pacific University of Virginia Villanovah University Vincennes University Western Washington University + 300 OTHERS SchoolsEndorsing MOUS

14. What are the Certifications? An industry-recognized standard for measuring a computer professional's ability to design, develop, implement, and support solutions with Microsoft products

15. Windows 2000 MCSE • NT 4.0 exams retired 2/28,01, valid through 12/01 • More than 266,000 IT professionals have been trained on Win 2K • Accelerated Upgrade Exam (#70-240) • Available to NT 4 MCP/MCSEs only • 1 testing opportunity, no cost (avail through 12/31/01) • Exam questions now 60-70% simulation, 45% troubleshooting • 5 core and 2 elective exams • Heavy focus on design and analysis

16. Become a Microsoft AATP • Authorized Academic Training Provider (AATP) • Provides training and resources to students in an academic environment who may not have access to affordable training • Partnership with Microsoft • Positions your school as a progressive IT facility • No fee for program participation • 100-user MS product license (subject of course) • Discounts on exams for students and faculty

17. What Are The Certifications? • Certified NetWare Administrator • 2 Exams • Certified NetWare Engineer • 2 Exams, hands-on lab component • *NEW* Certified Directory Engineer

18. WhatAreTheCertifications? Cisco CCNA / CCNPCertification

19. Cisco Academy Network • Fastest growing area of certification • Teaches hardware and communication of networks • Taught mainly in high schools, technical schools and colleges • CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) • 280-hour e-learning environment • 1 exam • Curriculum correlated to national math and science standards • CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) • Premium certification equivalent to an MCSE • Must be CCNA, pass 4 exams

20. Cisco Academy Network • Regional Academies • Responsible for up to 10 local Academies • Provides training, maintenance and support • Local Academies • Articulation agreements or dual enrollment provide feeder programs into two-year networking degree programs

21. More About Cisco • Program began October 1997 • Statistics as of 3/30/01: • Currently 6,570 Academies worldwide • 5,498 Local • 243 Regional • 790 Local/Regional • 50 States & DC, 121 Countries • 198,884 students enrolled

22. CompTIA What Are The Certifications? Computer Technology Industry Association is a not-for-profit trade organization with over 10,000 companies and professional IT members – educators and industry executives who developed vendor neutral IT certifications.

23. Industry standard credential for PC service and support technicians • 40% increase in A+ certifications in 2000 • As of 12/00: 269,990 certified technicians • CompTIA certifications do not expire • New exam live 1/31/01 • Testing of previous exams (1998 objectives) available through 3/30/01

25. New exam eliminates Win 3.1, customer service skills • New exam includes Win 95 & 98, NT 4 & Win 2000 • A+ Core Hardware • Printers, basic networking, installation, configuration and upgrading, diagnosis and troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, motherboard and memory • A+ OS Technologies • OS fundamentals, installation, configuration and upgrading, diagnosis and troubleshooting, networks and memory management

26. Vendor neutral networking hardware and architecture certification • Curriculum starts at ground zero • Foundation for MCSE or other networking certifications • Can be incorporated into any computer support program • Novell accepts Net+ towards CNA certification • Cisco curriculum prepares students for Net+ • Anticipated growth due to Microsoft dropping Net Essentials exam • Currently 29,827 certified professionals (3/01)

27. Vendor-neutral, entry-level Internet certification program • Baseline technical knowledge of Internet, Intranet and Extranet technologies • Coverage includes Internet basics, Internet clients, development, networking, security, and Web site creation • Recommended first step for AWP (Assn. for Web Professionals) certification • Accepted by CIW as Foundation certification • Recognized and accepted by the Association of Internet Professionals, Novell Education, IBM and Intel

28. Server+ • Newest CompTIA certification • Exams live 2/14/01 • Coverage includes: • Advanced PC hardware issues, such as RAID, SCSI, multiple CPUs, and more • Currently nothing in the industry like this that is vendor neutral • Supporting organizations: 3Com, Adaptec, Compaq, HP, IBM, Intel… • Course Technology is a cornerstone member of the Server+ Advisory Committee

29. What Are The Certifications? Associate Technology Specialist (ATS) • Vendor-neutral certification from Chauncey Group, based on NWCET Skill Standards (NSF grant) • Core Skills Exam • Employability skills, problem solving, project management, applied math, basic writing, statistics • 2 Exams in one of 8 career areas • Database, Digital Media, Enterprise Systems, Network, Programming, Technical Support, Technical Writing, Web Development

30. What are the Certifications? Certified Internet Web Master CIW Associate / Professional / Master • Vendor-neutral industry-leading certification for Internet professionals created by ProSoft • Only Internet certification endorsed by both Assn. of Internet Professionals (AIP) and Int’l. Webmasters Assn. (IWA) • Courses and exams are based on specific Internet job responsibilities

31. 3 tracks: • Designer (design, implement, and maintaining hypertext-based sites, create web content) • Developer (create interactive Web pages using client- and server-side Web applications; access relational database systems from Web applications) • Administrator (configure, manage and deploy e-business solutions servers) • Over 10,000 certified worldwide • i-Net+ accepted as Foundations exam

32. Oracle Internet Academy • Partnership between Oracle Corporation and secondary schools • Provides students with an introduction to the internet and web application development • Four 90-hour courses: • Database Fundamentals, Database Programming, Java Programming, Java Database Applications • Oracle provides professional development, software, course materials, and support • As of 3/01, 60,000 OCPs (100% increase over last 8 mos.)

33. Salary Statistics Certification and IT Professionals research study conducted by Fairfield Research, Inc. 12/00

34. Salary IncreasesFollowing Certification Technical certification = average 12% salary increase Certification and IT Professionals research study conducted by Fairfield Research, Inc. 12/00

35. Salary Statistics

36. How can wehelp you?

37. Course Technology • Courseware • Assessment • Exam prep materials • (CoursePrep StudyGuide, CoursePrep ExamGuide) • CompTIA cornerstone Advisory Committee member • Partnership with The Chauncey Group • Alliance with Thomson Prometric

38. MicrosoftMOUS

39. How Can We Help You? Full MOUS solution: • Comprehensive, authoritative textbooks approved by Microsoft • Teaching Tools and Instructors’ Resources • Live, in-the-application testing (SAM) • Simulated practice tests (Skill Measure) • Computer based training

40. Skills Assessment Manager

42. MicrosoftWindows 2000 MCSE

43. How Can We Help You? Full Windows 2000 solution: • Comprehensive, authoritative textbooks • Teaching Tools and Instructors’ Resources • CertPak CD ROM • Test-Prep software, Simulations • Prometric test discount coupon • Lab Manuals • CoursePrep Study Guides • New! Open Lab Simulations (60 simulations w/100+ animated scenarios) available 5/30/01 • CBT options for REAL-LIFE simulations

44. How Can We Help You? Novell Certified NetWare Admin (CNA) • Hands-On Novell NetWare 5.0/5.1 with Projects Enhanced • Guide to Novell NetWare 5.0/5.1: Enhanced Edition

45. CompTIAA+, Net+, i-Net+

46. How Can We Help You? Total Solution Toolbox to A+ Certification • A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC Enhanced Comprehensive • Complete Computer-Based Training for Managingand Maintaining Your PC • A+ Lab Manual • PC Troubleshooting Pocket Guide • CoursePrep Study Guide, Exam Guide or Exam Cram • Toolkit

47. How Can We Help You? Network+ Guide to Networks • Network+ Lab Manual • CoursePrep StudyGuide and ExamGuide i-Net+ Guide to Internet Technologies • i-Net+ Lab Manual • CoursePrep StudyGuide and ExamGuide

48. CiscoCCNA

49. How Can We Help You? • CCNA Guide to Cisco Networking Fundamentals, 2/e • Pub date: 6/15/01 • Lab Manual: Pub date: 6/15/01 • CCNA Guide to Cisco Routing, 2/e • Pub date: 6/30/01 • Lab Manual: Pub date: 6/30/01 • CCNA CoursePrep StudyGuide • Pub date 6/15/01 • CCNP Guide to Building Scalable Cisco Networks • Pub date: 8/1/01

50. CIWCertified Internet Webmaster