Interview: Karl Liebman on the State of IT Certification and the Role of E-learning
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Published 6/23/2005
By Anne Martinez
GoCertify: How are you working to keep Citrix certifications growing at a time when many programs seem to be slowing?
Karl Liebman: Before I get into our training and certification strategies, it's important to point out that Citrix's product line is at the center of it all. Our jobs are made infinitely easier by having great products that organizations want and need. That drives more demand than anything we could do.
Beyond that, we have actively adapted our training and certification programs to meet our customers' and partners' needs. Our unique approach to blending instructor-led training and eLearning in both our certification programs and role-based curriculum gives learners the chance to learn product basics over eLearning before investing the time and money for the advanced training best provided by ILT. To accomplish this, we made the decision to carefully identify the content that is appropriate for each, and avoid overlap. In this way, learners can have the most efficient training, and our courseware developers can focus on building the best training possible. Our industry leading approach to partner training has also kept us ahead of the curve as we developed systems that allow us to show our partners how well certified their staffs are.
GoCertify: How do you think IT employers measure the value of a certification?
Karl Liebman: The first and most important factor is always the product behind the certification. In our case, that means organizations decide on Citrix technology first, and then need the right people to implement and support it. The value of the specific certifications is then based on industry recognition, including the types of work that GoCertify does, and becomes a type of threshold requirement, similar to the way that a university degree is required for many jobs. Few employers believe that a university degree fully prepares graduates for their new jobs, but the degree is nonetheless highly valued, and required for most jobs.
GoCertify: How do you think IT workers measure the value of a certification?
Karl Liebman: Like with the employers, part of the value is attributed to the industry's perception. Ultimately, though, even great press coverage will not keep a certification growing for long if the industry isn't adopting the products, and IT employers aren't requiring the skills that certifications validate.
GoCertify: What do you think are the greatest factors that hold IT workers back from pursuing certification?
Karl Liebman: We spoke earlier about the similarities between certifications and university degrees, but there are also some differences. One key difference is the level of commitment often required of IT employers, including time away from work and fee reimbursement. While IT workers continue to desire certifications, unfortunately, macroeconomics has had an impact on the final decisions.
