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Subject:Certification - My Turn From:"Larry Kunz ((919) 254-6395)" <ldkunz -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 2 Jan 1996 19:06:33 EST
Someone suggested that a certification process would help us
establish standards for our profession -- to which Bonni replied,
"Are we putting the cart before the horse?"
Certification is a complex issue, and there are very few assumptions
you can make going in. But one of them, I believe, is that you
can't have certification until you've established standards.
Establishing standards is precisely what we're doing in STC. Last
year we approved a set of Ethical Standards, which isn't a be-all
and end-all but is meant to provide a starting point; and the Job
Competencies committee is currently wrestling with issues like what
skills are needed to do this job, and what the "body of knowledge"
is for our field. Whether we ever have certification or not, this
work will be valuable in helping us gain an identity as a profession.
I can't imagine how you could have certification without having
standards. What would you use for test criteria? If I'm out to
lunch on this one, I'd appreciate someone enlightening me (no
sarcasm intended). But I don't think I'm out to lunch.
Larry Kunz
STC Assistant to the President for Professional Development
ldkunz -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com
