Table Of ContentCREDENTIALING
CreDentialing
e
t
C
Certifies
SucceSS
PHOTOS BY ISTOCK.COM
20 Techniques November/december 2011 www.acteonline.org
By SUSAN REESE
A
ccording to Webster’s Diction- dence they need to enter the workforce or
ary, a credential is something to go on to pursue postsecondary educa-
that gives a title to credit tion or additional certifications. “As NCCER notes, these industry
or confidence. The certifi- Mastercam is another company with
credentials give employers confidence
cates and diplomas earned in career and a certification program designed to give
technical education (CTE) are providing students an extra edge with employers in a craft professional’s skill,
students with both the credits to help and, as the company notes, increases your
knowledge and desire for continuous
them find success in the workplace or in school’s value to the local community.
improvement, and they provide
further education, as well as the confi- When a school is recognized as providing
dence of knowing they have the skills that valuable skills along with the credentials those who earn them with portable,
are needed. There are a number of ways to back up those skills, more students will
industry-recognized credentials.”
that CTE students are earning these cre- be attracted to the program.
dentials. For example, NOCTI provides As the company’s Web site points out,
more than 170 standardized assessments while certification was originally meant
in occupations that range from culinary to create a benchmark for schools, many
to building trades to business to manu- programmers see certification as a way to potential employers. For assessments, cer-
facturing. (For more information about validate the skills they know. Mastercam tification of an individual’s qualifications
NOCTI, see the article on page 30 in this describes its certification program as a rig- is tracked through the National Registry,
issue of Techniques.) orous set of practical tests that recognize and credentials include certification of
a programmer’s knowledge and ability to successful completion of the written assess-
credentials designed for Success work effectively with Mastercam CAM ment for a craft; performance verification
As Autodesk notes, career and technical software, overcome common issues facing for a craft; and certified-plus for successful
education programs across the United today’s shops, and produce high-quality completion of both the written assess-
States equip students with marketable 2-D finished parts. According to the company, ment and the corresponding performance
and 3-D design skills by teaching them to its certification program has additional verification.
use state-of-the-art design software such flexibility for students and schools since it Among the NCCER certifications is
as that offered by Autodesk. AutoCAD can be used as an online training course the Mobile Crane Operator Certification
Certified User and Autodesk Inventor and can be worked into a dual-credit pro- Program, in which students can earn 13
Certified User credentials include both gram. Mastercam instructor certification equipment-specific certifications. There is
academic and industry requirements in classes are now available online as well. also a Rigger and Signal Person Certifica-
attainable certifications designed specifi- tion Program that includes three levels
cally for students. According to Autodesk, constructing credentials for Success of rigger certifications (basic, intermedi-
the exams combine multiple-choice and The National Center for Construction ate and advanced), as well as a signal
performance-based questions to ensure Education and Research (NCCER) person certification. As NCCER notes,
students understand and can effectively maintains a credentialing and certifica- these industry credentials give employ-
use the company’s software. Through the tion system through its National Registry, ers confidence in a craft professional’s
Autodesk Education Community, students which tracks both training and/or assess- skill, knowledge and desire for continuous
and educators also have the opportunity ments for its participants. For training, the improvement, and they provide those who
to get free software, learning materials National Registry provides transcripts, earn them with portable, industry-recog-
and classroom support. certificates and wallet cards to students nized credentials.
Autodesk notes that not only do these who complete the company’s curriculum When the Home Builders Institute
credentials confirm that students have the through an NCCER Accredited Train- (HBI) established its Residential Con-
necessary skills to continue their design ing Sponsor, making it easy to provide struction Academy (RCA) initiative in
careers, but it also gives students the confi- verification of their training to current or 2001, it was intended to bridge the critical
www.acteonline.org November/december 2011 Techniques 21
CREDENTIALING
“Working with technical committees on the identification of standards and competencies and the development of
questions to appropriately measure technical skills and knowledge, SkillsUSA has developed a Work Force Ready
System that provides assessments for CTE that are supported by industry, education and policy leaders.”
skill gap that exists within the residential tion courses, and a Residential Construc- curriculum to reflect the trend toward
construction industry. RCA develops tion Superintendent (RCS) designation green building and the new “green” skills
educational materials and programs that is issued to candidates who successfully needed for the residential construction
meet the current and future needs of the complete the full set of eight courses. workforce. The PACT curriculum is
National Association of Home Builders’ According to HBI, it is in the process used by HBI’s Workforce, Training and
members. It includes performance-based of developing a second track of RCS Employment Department in its training
testing designed to measure tasks such as programming—the Advanced Residential programs.
carpentry, wiring, plumbing and HVAC. Construction Superintendent (ARCS)
There is program credentialing for educa- designation—that is designed for individ- Getting ready With SkillsUSA
tional institutions, and there are training uals who have already received the RCS Working with technical committees on
programs that utilize the materials. designation. the identification of standards and compe-
HBI also developed four-hour modules HBI recently updated its Pre-Appren- tencies and the development of questions
for Residential Superintendent Designa- ticeship Certificate Training (PACT) to appropriately measure technical skills
The Real World Uses Real Tools
Tormach PCNC 1100 Series 3
With more than half a ton of iron behind it, the PCNC 1100 brings the excitement of
a real machine shop to your classroom. Desktop toys cutting wax and plastic simply $8480
cannot grab the attention of today’s students. The fascination that can lead to a
(plus shipping)
lifetime career begins with the thrill of that fi rst serious project.
Tormach CNC mills are a perfect way for STEM, PLTW, FIRST, Pre-Engineering,
Skills USA, and other technology curriculums. Whether it’s building a
competition robot or just cutting parts for a custom motorcycle, the
strength and power of a serious machine tool like the PCNC 1100 will
inspire today’s students to be tomorrow’s innovatwors.
Every PCNC 1100 Series 3 features:
• R8 Spindle 1.5 hp variable speed to 5000 RPM
• Computer controlled spindle speed and direction
• Standard G code with DXF & HPGL fi le support
• Composition bonded slideways (similar to Turcite®)
• Table size 34” x 9.5”
Shown here with
optional stand,
LCD, keyboard
arm, tool rack,
and keyboard
www.tormach.com
22 Techniques November/december 2011 www.acteonline.org
and knowledge, SkillsUSA has developed development and training efforts. SkillsUSA is with the Graphic Arts
a Work Force Ready System that provides SkillsUSA likens these assessments to Education and Research Foundation
assessments for CTE that are supported the PSAT test and describes them as “an (GAERF) to offer online PrintED/Skill-
by industry, education and policy leaders. on-ramp” for programs such as those of sUSA assessments; PrintED is a national
These committees, notes SkillsUSA, rep- CompTIA and the American Welding accreditation program administered
resent diverse, leading organizations that Society, and the certificates as identifying by GAERF that is based on industry
serve their respective industries. the competencies tested and not intended standards for graphic communications
According to SkillsUSA, “Skill Con- to serve as an equivalent to industry certi- courses of study at the secondary and
nect Assessments help candidates prove fications currently available. postsecondary levels. The assessments
their technical skills and knowledge to Automotive Youth Educational Sys- assess technical skills and knowledge with
potential employers. They also help local tems (AYES) and the National Automo- interactive questions enriched by anima-
instructors and programs demonstrate the tive Technicians Education Foundation tions, videos, drawings and photographs.
value of their programs, while supporting (NATEF) have partnered with SkillsUSA Students who receive passing scores on
local industries with a pool of potential to offer a single National Automotive the assessments will receive co-branded
employees that have been tested by a Student Skills Standards Assessment pro- GAERF/SkillsUSA certificates.
system they can trust.” gram. The tests, which were developed
They may be used as pre-assessments by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), The role of community
to identify individual educational needs; are designed to evaluate students who are and Technical colleges
to identify proficiency levels at the near the end of their studies in automobile Community and technical colleges are ex-
completion of a program of study at either service, collision repair and refinishing, periencing a surge in enrollments because
the secondary or postsecondary level; or and medium/heavy truck. of the great value they offer for young
by organizations conducting workforce Another partnership established by people who are looking for affordable
Fast Track
Your Career
At Johnson & Wales University internships are
a core part of our academic program. Nearly a
quarter of our students get hands-on work
experience at more than 1,400 sites every year.
At least 50 percent of our students get a job offer
from their internship site, while enrolled at JWU!
Come to where it all begins.
1-800-DIAL-JWU (342-5598) www.jwu.edu
“ Anything you can image, I’ve been involved in.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. • NORTH MIAMI, FLA. • DENVER, COLO. • CHARLOTTE, N.C.
That’s because of Johnson & Wales.”
Sarah Pinsonault ’10 College of Business • College of Culinary Arts • The Hospitality College
Intern, Charlotte Motor Speedway School of Technology • Graduate School
Johnson & Wales University admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin, among other categories.
www.acteonline.org November/december 2011 Techniques 23
CREDENTIALING
postsecondary education, and to acquire cal program of study have a number tificates in masonry, plumbing, tailoring/
the skills they will need to enter the of options for earning credentials. For alterations and welding.
workforce. But older, more experienced example, the college’s Division of Com- Among the certificates offered by
adults are also turning to community mercial and Industrial Technology offers the BSCC Division of Consumer and
and technical colleges because they either Associate of Occupational Technologies Transportation Technology are ones in
need to change careers or update their Certificates in automotive body technol- cosmetology, diesel technology, graphic
current skills. ogy, barbering/hair styling, and com- communications, jewelry design, nail
At the four city campuses of Bishop mercial food service. It also offers an technology, and truck driving. Students in
State Community College (BSCC) in Associate in Applied Science Certificate the Division of Engineering and Con-
Mobile, Alabama, students in the techni- in commercial food service, as well as cer- struction Technology may earn degrees
and certificates that include carpentry,
civil engineering, electrical technol-
ogy, electronics engineering technology,
machine tool technology, and process and
maintenance technology.
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)
is Ohio’s oldest and largest community
college, and as such has many degree and
certificate options available. There are
Associate of Applied Business degrees in
administrative office systems and caption-
ing and court reporting, and Associate
of Applied Science degrees in different
aspects of applied industrial technol-
ogy. There are also certificate programs
ranging from automotive maintenance to
massage therapy to magnetic resonance
imaging to visual communication and
design.
At Tri-C, the students range in age
from teenagers to seniors, and the college
offers fast-track career programs and cer-
tifications that can be completed quickly
with classes held days, evenings and
weekends. For example, at the Cuyahoga
Center for Health Industry Solutions,
there are fast-track certification programs
for nurse assistant and patient access spe-
Visit our Booth
cialist. During the 2010-2011 academic
year, the school awarded 2,544 degrees
#1139 and certificates, and according to Tri-C,
of the 86 percent of graduates from its
career programs who find employment,
83 percent are in jobs that relate to their
field of study.
In 2012 the Wisconsin Technical Col-
lege System (WTCS) will celebrate its
centennial. Although it was established in
1912 as one technical college, today’s Wis-
consin technical colleges cover the state
24 Techniques November/december 2011 www.acteonline.org
Take Your
and offer more than 300 programs rang- and continuing through community and Students To A
ing from welding to business to health technical colleges, is giving students the
Higher Level
care to biotechnology. WTCS also has skills they need for the global workplace
Advanced Technical Certificates in which or for continuing their educations. It is
some of the credits are advanced content also providing them with the credentials
beyond the associate degree level. that prove their value to employers and to
At Wisconsin’s Gateway Technical the future of our nation.
College, there are numerous certificate
options available in fields that range from
CAD/CAM to hospitality to health care explore More
to business technology to transportation.
For more information about the
Gateway also offers Advanced Techni-
credentialing organizations discussed in
cal Certificates in computer animation, this article, here are some Web sites to visit.
digital photography, financial planning,
American Welding Society
game programming, geothermal special- www.aws.org
ist, multimedia, network security, tele- Autodesk
communications engineering, and urban www.autodesk.com
farming, as well as an Oracle Advanced Automotive Service Excellence
Technical Certificate. www.ase.com
Fox Valley Technical College is one Automotive Youth Educational Systems
of the Wisconsin schools that partner www.ayes.org
Our materials focus on the
with the Cisco Networking Academy to Cisco Systems, Inc.
technical skills that are necessary
provide students the opportunity to pre- www.cisco.com
for students to achieve a high
pare for the Cisco Certified Networking CompTIA
level of performance in the
Associate (CCNA) exam. The Milwaukee www.comptia.org
skilled trades.
Area Technical College offers the Cisco Graphic Arts Education
Internetworking Certificate, which in- and Research Foundation
www.gaerf.org Instructional resources are
cludes four courses that prepare students
available that provide a wealth
for the CCNA exam. Home Builders Institute
www.hbi.org of content information and
In the CompTIA Certified IT Profes-
curriculum fl exibility.
Mastercam
sional Certificate Program at Waukesha
www.mastercam.com
County Technical College, students will
Choose the quality that many
National Center for Construction
gain the skills required to pass CompTIA
Education and Research professionals in the fi eld, and in
certifications for A+, Server+, Network+,
www.nccer.org the classroom, have known for
and Security+. The college notes that as a
NOCTI decades... ATP!
VUE/Pearson testing center and a Comp-
www.nocti.org
TIA member, it is able to provide testing
Oracle VISIT US AT THE
at a discounted rate. www.oracle.com ACTE CAREER EXPO IN ST. LOUIS
Graduates of Wisconsin’s technical BOOTH #416
SkillsUSA
colleges have gone on to careers in engi- www.skillsusa.org Visit our Booth
neering and sustainability, and according
to WTCS, as the workplace changes, its
Susan Reese #416
programs change to offer the greatest
is a Techniques contributing writer. She can be contacted at
potential for career growth. As a result, Scan here to visit our web site
even in a down economy, 86 percent of its [email protected]. www.go2atp.com
graduates have jobs within six months of
graduation. Interested in exploring this topic
further? Discuss it with your
In today’s economy, it’s important to
colleagues on the ACTE forums at www.
note that career and technical educa-
acteonline.org/forum.aspx.
tion, beginning in secondary programs
www.acteonline.org November/december 2011 Techniques 25
