Leo Hitchcock

Industry Certification: Stakeholder Value and Pedagogical Validity Leo Hitchcock

Certification sponsored by industry or professional association has been a form of credentialing for over half a century. Since its adoption by the ICT sector, industry certification has become a veritable juggernaut: a multi-billion dollar business with the total number of certifications impossible to quantify. Many tertiary and secondary level academic institutions are integrating certification, especially ICT certification, into their curricula. Is such certification educationally robust? Does it have value to its many stakeholders? Is it a reliable method of skills assessment? How does an organisation go about establishing a certification program? This work describes the experiences of players within the certification industry, the common understandings and perceptions of industry certification, and the essence of industry certification itself. It develops and presents a paradigm for building a certification programme that is pedagogically sound and with value for its stakeholders. The contrasts and complementary aspects of industry and academic qualifications are highlighted. This book is a valuable handbook for any prospective industry certification stakeholder.