1. How can organizations and vendors change their certification programs to test for skills as well as core knowledge? What issues might this introduce?

2. What are the primary arguments against certification, and how can certifying bodies change their programs to overcome these shortcomings?

3. What are the benefits of certification? How might certification programs need to change in the future to better serve the needs of the IT community?

When Don Tennant, former editor-in-chief of Computer world, published an editorial in favor of IT certification, he was promptly hit with a barrage of angry responses from IT workers. They argued that testable IT knowledge does not necessarily translate into quality IT work. A worker needs good communication and problem-solving skills as well as perseverance to get the job done well. Respondents explained that hardworking IT workers focus on skills and knowledge that are related to their current projects and don’t have time for certifications that will quickly become obsolete. Many readers indicated they suspected that vendors offer certification simply as a marketing ploy and a source of revenue. They accused managers without technical back-grounds of using certification as“a crutch, a poor but politically defensible substitute for knowing what and how well one’s subordinates are doing.”

Any manager would certainly do well to review these insightful points, yet they beg the question: What useful purposes can certification serve within an organization?Some CIOs and vice presidents of technology assert that many employers use certification as a means of training employees and increasing skill levels within the company. Some companies are even using certification as a perk to attract and keep good employees. Such companies may also enhance their employee training programs by offering a job-rotation program through which workers can acquire certification and experience.Employers are also making good use of certification as a hiring gate both for entry-level positions and for jobs that require specific core knowledge. For example, a company with a Windows Server network might run an ad for a systems integration engineer and require a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification. A company that uses Siebel customer relationship management software might require a new hire to have a certification in the latest version of Siebel.

In addition, specific IT fields, such as project management and security, have a greater need for certification. As the speed and complexity of production increase within the global market place, workers in a variety of industries are showing an increasing interest in project management certification. With mottos like“Do It, Do It Right, Do It Right Now,” the Project Management Institute has already certified more than 400,000 people. IT industry employers are beginning to encourage and sometimes require project management certification.Calls for training in the field of security management go beyond certification. The demand for security workers is expected to continue to grow rapidly in the next few years in the face of growing threats. Spam, computer viruses, spyware, botnets, and identity theft have businesses and government organizations worried. They want to make sure that their security managers can protect their data, systems, and resources.