RE: Certification

Perhaps not Steve, but I would and do and will again and again expect
programmers to write programs, operators to operate computers,
analysts analyze (Here is where certification might be usefull)
problems and suggest solutions in thier respective areas of expertise.

If on the other hand your cousin Vinni is a Doctor, I would, based
upon accepted and established norm, expect that he would have 1)
attended med school after four years of college, 2) participate in
continuing ed in his chosen specialty etc... Ditto if he is a Lawyer.

For programmers I expect that they also will participate in continuing
ed, operators certainly require many skills over and above button
pushing and I have met a few that could certainly be certified :) for
analysts, I also expect them to comprehend user requirements,
programmer requirements and operational requirements, I also expect
them to be versed in "fields of expertise".

All of this can be discovered within the standard 6 month probation
period! in other words, I would do all of the certification necessary.

______________________________________________________________________
___
Howard Weatherly

hweatherly@dlis.dla.mil
howard.weatherly@ctg.com
hweath@ibm.net

X4324

 <<Certification>> 

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• Subject: Certification
• From: Steve Glanstein <mic@xxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 19:26:10 -0400

Hi all:

Needed to add my two cents on certification.

All certification means is that an individual met certain test
requirements
on a specific date and time. It says nothing for that individual's
skills
following the test or even prior to the test.

Several issues must be addressed. The issue of licensure needs to be
addressed separately from the issues of currency and competency.

Licensure:

Would you have my cousin Vinny handle your legal affairs if he wasn't
a
licensed attorney?

Currency:

Would you have a doctor work on your body if his last patient was in
1950?

Competency:

Would you have a doctor work on your body if his only skill was doing
autopsies?
Would you have a tax lawyer manage a criminal trial with you as a
defendant?


One of the most important rationales associated with state licensure
of
doctors and lawyers is that there is a, "compelling state interest in
protecting the public." No state in the US has made this determination
regarding our profession.

Currency may be testable if we had objective and standardized testing
every
six months or so. What would that do to the business partner pool? Do
people forget that often? For example, in aviation, currency for
flying in
clouds must be met by either (a) six hours of instruments and six
approaches within six months or (b) an instrument competency check. If
this
is not met for another six months, an instrument competency check (or
equivalent) is mandatory.

How often do people forget CFAS400, RPG IV indicator placement, etc?

Competency is directly related to experience. There is no substitute
for
experience. Certainly certification does not imply experience. In
fact, it
only demonstrated one level of competency on a particular date and
time.

The problem as I see it is, [begin quote mode] "There are many
business
partner firms that have minimal or even no real AS/400 skills." [End
quote
mode] Certification is a way to cut out some [emphasized] of these
business
partners.

Why should those of us with 20+ years of experience have to suffer
because
of those who can't figure it out?

IBM's latest attempt at establishing a deadline of November 30 was not
workable. They've since 
extended the deadline but the problem hasn't gone away.

The price for the test is $300 per exam, almost as much as the two day
Hawaii Bar Exam!
This is certainly overpriced. At this price, we may need to examine
the
true motives. I hope this is not another way to just generate more
income
rather than reducing commissions of the business partners.

There should be a way that the local IBM branch office can vouch for
the
skills of the business partners and let them do their job!

If they mess with the business partner program too much they'll
certainly
wipe out many of the smaller business partner companies. I wonder if
this
is the true intent?

JMHO

Steve Glanstein
mic@aloha.com

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