* CompTIA begins rolling out the National IT Apprenticeship System
One of the top IT research firms estimates that about 40% of all major IT problems result from an employee misstep. That’s not surprising, given the increasing demands companies place on their overworked IT staff members. Some of the mistakes undoubtedly stem from carelessness, but I’m betting that many are the result of simply not knowing how to perform a specific task. Too often, IT professionals are forced to learn on the job without a guiding hand to teach them.
The National IT Apprenticeship System (NITAS) is here to remedy that situation. NITAS is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). You already know CompTIA as a vendor-neutral certifying agency; now get to know CompTIA for its IT workforce development programs, one of which is NITAS.
The idea for NITAS germinated several years ago, as CompTIA members began looking for a way to validate the experience employees get from on-the-job training and hands-on work. Certification validates that someone knows a topic, such as systems administration, but it doesn’t validate that he has performed the actual work. It’s entirely possible for an employee to be “book smart” but not have any hands-on experience.
Employers, however, are very interested in what an IT professional has done and can do; that is to say, the person’s experience. That’s the purpose of NITAS – it measures knowledge AND experience.
As the “A” in the NITAS name implies, this is an apprenticeship program. “Apprenticeship is one of the most ancient forms of training in the world,” says Neill Hopkins, vice president of Skills Development for CompTIA. “We built NITAS to be a 21st century approach to apprenticeship to help people learn relevant IT skills that are in high demand today. The apprentice is paired with a coach or mentor who verifies that the student or worker has actually done the work.”
There are several ways for an apprentice to go through the NITAS program. The most common method is that the apprentice’s current employer sponsors him. A partner organization such as a university or a trade training group is then chosen to deliver the NITAS program to meet the sponsor’s specifications. As the apprentice progresses through his training and demonstrates his skills with hands-on work, his mentor carefully documents his achievements. The employer can see that, not only has the employee learned how to, say, implement an IT security system, but that he has physically done the work under the supervision of a subject matter expert.
An individual can enter a NITAS program without a sponsor. However, this approach is used primarily to allow the person to document his training and experience in a NITAS database, sort of like keeping an online resume. Students and unemployed IT professionals can take this tack to show they have taken a disciplined approach to learning.
Large companies have approached CompTIA to provide a highly customized NITAS program. For example, McDonalds Corporation used a NITAS approach to develop project management skills in its employees. Content specific to McDonalds was developed and taught by an outside coach. At the end of the pilot program, McDonalds saw a 12% increase in productivity from the newly trained employees.
CompTIA has developed several concentrations to be presented the NITAS way. Project management, security/information assurance and IT generalist topics are available today. Coming in March will be help desk, database, networking and application development. “We teach skills to current industry standards, and we continually update them,” Hopkins says. “Employers love this system because it offers a practical means of workforce development for IT professionals.”
Visit http://www.nitas.us if you are interested in:
* Learning how your company can implement a NITAS training program for your employees.
* Helping companies implement a NITAS program.
* Becoming an outside coach or mentor to apprentices.
* Developing relevant content for delivery through a NITAS program.
The NITAS program has been in beta for a year, with pilot programs in various industries. It has proven to be not only feasible but also very valuable. The full program is ready to roll out in 2005. Check it out and see if you can benefit from this new employee training system.
Linda Musthaler is vice president of Currid & Company. You can write to her at mailto:Linda.Musthaler@currid.com
