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Credentialing Notes
February 2009
How many times have you heard the phrase, “in this economy” (or some variation of it) in the last few months? The state of the economy and its impact on professionals in specific industries is the subject of three of the News articles included in this issue of Credentialing Notes.
“Technical Certifications: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” says that in “the current economic slowdown affecting the software development industry, it is likely that developers’ interest in technical certifications may increase.”
“Certification Continues to Give VARs an Edge” says “...companies looking to cut costs during these rough times may be reluctant to pay for network certification classes for their networking professionals.”
“CFA Pass Rate Fell for First Exam, Institute Reports” says “…a three-step process aimed at gaining a hiring edge as job losses accelerate in the financial-services industry.”
The question is how much data do certification programs have to show a link, or lack there of, between the number of applications and the state of the economy. According to a recent NOCA poll, 41% of the 44 respondents have seen an increase in applicants. Does this hold true for your program? Our guess is that this subject will be the topic of conversation at many of the industry events throughout the year.
If you have a suggestion or would like to see something included (such as an event or news item) in Credentialing Notes, please email your feedback to info@seacrestcompany.com.
Best regards,
Janice Moore
SeaCrest Company
In the News
Technical Certifications: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
(JavaWorld) With the current economic slowdown affecting the software development industry, it is likely that developers' interest in technical certifications may increase. Many of us in the software development industry have probably wondered at one time or another about the value of earning a technical certification and if the benefits of such a certification would be worth the effort and cost involved.
NOCA Publishes First Quality Standard for Certificate Programs
(www.noca.org) The National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) announced the publication of the first standard for certificate programs, NOCA 1100 – Quality Standard for Assessment-Based Certificate Programs (2009).
Rep. Mike Talboy Tries to Repeal Midwives’ Law
(STLToday.com) Talboy has introduced HB476, which would repeal a single sentence. That sentence allows people who hold “ministerial or tocological certification by an organization accredited by the National Organization for Competency Assurance” to provide services dealing with obstetrics.
Certification Continues to Give VARs an Edge
(IT World) An article today on searchNetworking suggests that companies looking to cut costs during these rough times may be reluctant to pay for network certification classes for their networking professionals; and the professionals themselves are not likely to pony up the substantial dough that is required to get those letters after their names.
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Unveils New Testing Features For 2009
(Medical News Today) The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) - the pioneer in the certification of pharmacy technicians - announced today that on April 1, 2009, the PTCB Examination will be available in continuous testing format at Pearson Professional Centers nationwide. PTCB also announced that exam candidates will receive an official pass or fail result at the test center after the completion of the exam, effective immediately.
New Certification System for Front-line Logistics Workers
(PR Newswire) On January 14, 2009, at the ProMat 2009 International Logistics Show in Chicago, the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) publicly announces the availability of a new, industry-led training and credentialing system for front-line workers in supply chain logistics.
CSA America Announces Development of New Personnel Certification Program for Greenhouse Gas Quantifiers
(PR Newswire) CSA America, Inc., a leading developer of standards, codes and personnel certification programs, today announces its plans for a new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Quantifier personnel certification program for professionals who develop, quantify and report Greenhouse Gas emissions and removals.
GI Bill Reimburses Veterans Who Take Cisco Certification Exams
(Yahoo!Finance) Cisco today announced that its award-winning certification program is now authorized for use with the Department of Defense's education program DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support). U.S. military veterans and their eligible dependents may use their GI Bill benefits to cover the full cost of any current Cisco® information technology (IT) certification exam.
CFA Pass Rate Fell For First Exam, Institute Reports
(Bloomberg) A smaller percentage of candidates passed the first test of the Chartered Financial Analyst exam, a three-step process aimed at gaining a hiring edge as job losses accelerate in the financial-services industry.
Mortgage Professionals Can Now Receive A Certification And Learn Of Green Mortgage Products
(PRLog) Green Real Estate Education, the leader in educational courses in the United States for the real estate industry on green awareness will be offering their Level One introductory certification course for mortgage professionals.
Blog Watch
If you have a blog you would like us to list here, please e-mail us.
Have you Heard of Morrison Media?
(Credentialing Talk) You may have already heard about Morrison Media, a company that claims to do test preparation including flash cards, study guides and, even, secrets of the exam.
More on Consensus
(Beyond Certification) In the post, I am specifically talking about developing industry standards, and there I do believe consensus is critical. But, I also wanted to clarify that I am not advocating that all associations should become ANSI-accredited as developers of American National Standards.
Events
February 22 - 25 Association of Test Publishers Conference
February 23 CAE Study Course: An Immersion Program
February 25 - 26 Performance Testing Council Summit
March 2 Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team
March 25 NCCA Best Practices
April 12 - 16 NCME Annual Meeting
April 28 MCQ: The Fifteen Fatal Flaws
May 12 Utilizing the Media in your Marketing Plan
May 13 - 15 Performance Testing Council Summit
May 26 Utilizing the Media in your Marketing Plan
June 30 Performance Tests: Why You Need One, How You Can Develop One
July 28 Linking Strategic Planning to Budget Management: A Formula for Innovation and Success
August 5 - 8 National College Testing Association Annual Conference
August 15 - 18 ASAE Annual Meeting
September 10 - 12 Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation Annual Conference
October 28 - 30 CAC Annual Meeting
November 18 - 21, 2009 NOCA Annual Educational Conference
Careers
Certification Networking Group
Links
The Fine Print
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Credentialing Notes is a commercial email published by SeaCrest Company. For more information call 877-619-9885, visit our Web site at www.seacrestcompany.com, email info@seacrestcompany.com or write to 3611 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road, Suite 204-378, Charlotte, NC 28216.
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© 2008 SeaCrest. Janice Moore, Editor.
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