CNet Training is the largest and longest running training and education provider in the world dedicated to the data centre and network infrastructure sectors. In this article, CNet Training’s President and CEO, Andrew Stevens, discusses the benefits and differences between certifications and qualifications.
CNet remains the only sector-dedicated technical education provider in the world to award both internationally recognised qualifications and professional certifications. All of our programs are created by our technical team as well as alongside industry experts to create and encourage a lifelong commitment to education and to the industry, offering internationally recognised qualifications and certifications across the globe.
Certifications are unique, they show a commitment to life-long learning and they offer the perfect portal to ensure knowledge and skills remain current and up-to-date. Certifications prove that an individual has completed the learning process and achieved the stated objectives. Certifications from CNet provide learners with a post-nominal title to use after their name, an official logo to use to prove certification alongside a digital badge. Each certification gained from CNet requires re-certifying every three years and this shows that the learner is committed to ongoing learning and that their organisation is committed to ensuring their technical teams’ knowledge and skills remain current and up-to-date. We have designed a simple online system that allows re-certification to be undertaken quickly and easily.
Qualifications on the other hand are valid for life. They differ from certifications in that they do not need renewing and they are controlled by international educational bodies and only approved centres can offer qualifications. The process to become an approved centre is a rigorous one and re-assessment is required to maintain approved centre status every 12 months. CNet Training is an approved centre and has been for over 20 years.
Qualifications are recognised across the globe (see the qualifications equivalence table) and can be mapped against other qualifications, for example, a level 5 BTEC qualification is the equivalent to a Foundation or Bachelors Degree.
Individuals who have been awarded qualifications can therefore have the added confidence that they have received high-quality education from a respected and trusted organisation. An organisation that has strict processes in place for quality of delivery and that is assessed to ensure it continues to deliver the right high-quality educational content that continues to meet the set learning objectives set for each program. This highlights the fact that only the best education companies can gain this approved centre status.
Organisations have confidence in individuals with awarded qualifications as they know they have received high-quality education from a respected and trusted organisation. However, the downside to qualifications alone is that once you have been awarded your qualification, that’s it. There is no follow up required, meaning that someone could have been awarded a qualification 20 years ago and from that moment never did anything further with it ever again and, therefore, could have forgotten the majority of the learning material. That is why CNet offers qualifications alongside certifications.
We created the highly acclaimed Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework to showcase the full suite of technical education programs we offer throughout the Digital Infrastructure Industry. The internationally recognised framework maps professional education programs, industry recognised qualifications and official certifications to actual career roles throughout the industry. Industry professionals can work through the Framework, starting at level 3 and culminating with the level 7 Masters Degree in Data Centre Leadership and Management program, joining an elite global group of data centre professionals. Every program has been designed to address the skills and knowledge requirements of those working in different areas of these vibrant and fast-moving sectors. While the programs flow perfectly from one to another, they are of equal value as stand-alone programs, plus learners can enter the framework at any level depending on their level of experience.
You only have to look at industry specific job specifications to see that CNet certifications and qualifications are fast becoming a desirable or even a required skill needed in order to apply for certain Digital Infrastructure jobs. This supports our brand values and legacy as we are always striving to create high-quality, high-technical and detailed programs that really are fit for purpose and up to date with the industry and market trends.
At CNet, quality is at the heart of everything we do. We want organisations to see the results from their investment in education for years to come and for individuals to keep learning and to progress through The Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework.
