Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Training versus Certification
Network installations have required a certain amount of training since the days of
twist-on coax connectors. Twisted-pair connections require knowledge and skill to
reach near-microwave performance levels. Fiber-optic connections also require
understanding and skill. We need to know what types of components are appropri-
ate for each network installation, and how to properly install those components to
achieve the expected network performance.
The process of gaining that knowledge and those skills is called training .
Training takes many forms. You are clearly gaining the knowledge phase
through reading this topic. Some of the skills can be gained by following the
installation and termination techniques here, particularly in conjunction with
instructions that many manufacturers include with their products. In addition,
many courses and resources are available to help supply cabling knowledge and
skill. Of course, experience is the best teacher, particularly when supplemented by
a skilled coworker or instructor. Many of us have used trial and error to success-
fully compensate for the lack of formal training. As long as the errors are quickly
remedied, there is really nothing wrong with this approach. As a matter of fact,
most approaches to wiring techniques (including the very design of successful con-
necting hardware) have been the result of educated trial and error, or at least trial
and testing.
Now that the best of these techniques and practices are known, it is paramount
that we quickly teach the best methods to the new installers and teach new methods
to the experienced ones. This process is done through the dissemination of training
manuals, training classes, and videos to the widest audience possible. Many organ-
izations can provide cable installation training, as we will see later. However, as a
network technician, how can you prove your level of expertise to a potential
employer? Likewise, how can you as a contractor or business manager recognize the
credentials of prospective new employees or contractors?
The credentials can best be supplied by a training certificate or a testing certifi-
cate. Formal training courses normally issue a “certificate of completion” to the
attendee. In most cases, this certificate indicates that the student has successfully
completed the course of instruction, which may or may not include an end-of-course
exam. The testing certification is provided by an organization that may or may not
have actually provided the training. In some cases, testing may be done by a govern-
ment agency, as a requisite part of formal licensing. This is the same process that
many skilled workers go through, from truck drivers to aircraft pilots, from auto-
motive mechanics to airframe technicians, and indeed from programmers to net-
work engineers. In an end-user organization, the particular level of training and
Search WWH ::




Custom Search