Q: What is the program?
A: This program combines technology skills training, industry recognized certification, with intern job placement, at the local level.
In today’s corporate environment, there is a widespread shortage of information technology professionals as well as technically qualified office workers. According to the Information Technology Association of America, there are over 190,000 unfilled technical jobs at mid to large size organizations. Extrapolating this number to include small companies, there are approximately 400,000 positions available today. This demand for workers who can effectively use office automation technology cuts across manufacturing and services, transportation, healthcare, education and government. The need for technical resources will continue to escalate, as new technologies will translate into 80% of new jobs created in the next ten years and according to the Information Technology Association of America this shortage may grow four-fold by the year 2008.
To help solve this shortage, SmartForce, Manpower and NCS, three of the world’s leading providers of training, placement and certification/assessment services respectively, are aligning to provide high schools and post-secondary educational institutions a unique, turnkey Business and Technical Education program alternative.
Q: How does this program work?
A: The REALskills! Alliance has developed a series of semester long technical training/certification programs that can be offered as an elective curriculum. Generally, all programs consist of three simple and straightforward processes; training, certification and placement.
The training consists of delivering comprehensive, high quality technical training to students while at school. The computer-based training, developed by SmartForce, incorporates state-of-the-art graphics and simulations, and will run on industry standard platforms. The curriculum consists of technical courseware content on products in high demand by all industries. The SmartForce courses are easy to install and facilitated by current faculty and do not necessitate the faculty becoming subject matter experts. Instructors receive mentoring via an Online Learning Advisor to assist with the subject matter and are provided 7 day, 24-hour access to this resource.
Certification of IT professionals is recognized by industry as a highly relevant criteria for evaluating a job candidate’s technical skills and ability to immediately contribute to the employers’ business goals. Leading IT software companies like Microsoft, Novell and other leading software and hardware companies (Program Sponsors) have embraced and now champion the Certification of IT professionals on their specific products by sponsoring the ongoing development and maintenance of their credentialing exams and associated processes. The testing process is rigorous and tests for learning outcomes. Those who pass the series of certification exams receive higher initial salaries and have proven to advance more rapidly in their careers. These Program Sponsors partner with testing/assessment organizations like NCS to offer certification testing on computers at testing centers worldwide. In the REALskills! program Microsoft certification exams will be delivered in schools via NCS’ proprietary Internet based testing system. Testing for the CompTIA A+ certification will be available in the spring of 2000. This new low-cost, easy to administer testing system will be bundled with the turnkey system and delivered at the school. School faculty, trained as exam proctors, will ensure authentication of the exam results.
Those who successfully complete the technical training and certification phases of the program as well as Manpower’s "Putting Quality to Work" work-readiness training are now prepared to begin their work experience. Manpower will attempt to place a student who has successfully completed all phases of the program into a monitored environment through a unique Intern program. Manpower will, on a regular basis, gauge a student’s job performance by surveying their immediate supervisor and provide coaching and counseling, including recognition for excellent performance or outstanding achievements. In this process, called Manpower’s "Predictable Performance System," Manpower will also work closely with students to assess their degree of satisfaction with their work experience, and take action as appropriate.
Q: What does each company in the alliance contribute?
A: SmartForce is the number one provider of computer-based training solutions to leading systems integrators and Fortune 500 companies around the world. Some of SmartForce’s largest customers include IBM, MCI, GTE, EDS, HP, Compaq, American Express, Cargill, Norwest, Coopers & Lybrand, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Price Waterhouse and many others. The corporate use of the SmartForce’s curriculum ensures the skills and knowledge students acquire while in school are completely transferable to the work environment. Further, using the courseware, students will be able to thoroughly prepare for the industry recognized certification examination components. Finally, REALskills! instructors will be provided their own set of materials for use at home or school as well as a mentor to assist them as they learn the technical content prior to or in parallel with their students. The mentoring includes 7/24 access to an On-line Learning Advisor, REALskills! specific threaded discussions and "chat" areas as well as daily email communications. SmartForce’s courseware is authorized by leading IT product providers like Microsoft, Novell, Oracle and many others as well as industry associations like CompTIA. Therefore, SmartForce will provide schools the most current, cost effective and comprehensive technical training curriculum available today.
NCS is the leading provider of assessment services and tools to the public and private sectors. NCS processes and/or scores nearly 50 million tests annually and is providing products and services to nearly 80% of the largest school systems in the US. The NCS student administration system has an install base of 28,000 schools. Recently, NCS has broadened its testing/assessment capability by developing a state-of-the-art electronic testing delivery system. This system, based on the Internet as the transport mechanism, allows any computer with access to the Internet to become a testing station capable of delivering the IT credentialing exams described above. It is with this technology NCS will bring the most sought after IT certification tests directly into schools nationwide.
This system and NCS’ unparalleled experience in implementing assessment and administration solutions in school systems nationwide will enable the implementation of industry recognized certification programs at the schools in a simple and efficient manner.
Manpower is the world’s largest single brand staffing service, employing more than one million people through a network of over 1200 offices serving customers in all industries. Manpower Professional, the fastest growing division of Manpower, is dedicated to the placement of technical professionals. Through this dedication and commitment to supplying industries with much needed technical employees, Manpower will implement a unique intern placement program for all students completing the program. Additionally, Manpower’s unique relationship with SmartForce will allow students who become employees access to SmartForce’s comprehensive technical and critical skills curriculums including topics regarding communications, negotiating and working on teams. The teachers working with the program will have access to those same resources. Manpower’s extensive relationship with employers throughout the United States and around the world, "Putting Quality to Work" work-readiness training program, Predictable Performance System and strong geographic presence uniquely positions Manpower to develop, market and implement the intern and placement program across the country.
Q: Who benefits from the program?
A: There are a number of benefits to the students, schools and community including:
| Students (College or Career bound) |
Critical technical skills training and validation (important to continuing education or school-to-work transition), job readiness training and post secondary technical preparation, access to high wage and high skill jobs, early work experience with work related tools, and enhanced career employment opportunities. |
| School faculty | New area for job enrichment via new technology training and developing students with career skills. Potential on-the-job internships offer practical experience. Continuing Education Credits for attending REALskills! Institute. |
| Parents | Increasing confidence in local school systems, providing students with economic independence and skills to fund post-secondary education. |
| Employers | Access to much needed job candidates with a predictable level of performance. |
| Community | Higher employment in desirable, high wage jobs, economic development, reduced welfare enrollment. |
Q. How much does it cost?
Today, similar commercial training and certification programs can cost between $2,000 and $5,000 per person to complete. These programs don’t include many of the REALskills! components like intern placement, instructor mentoring, work-readiness training as well post program scholarships.A:
We’re working together as an alliance to offer an appropriate fee structure. Through this alliance, schools will now be able to offer students a truly comprehensive program at a fraction of the commercial cost with the addition of a number of features required to make a high school like this successful. For specific pricing information, contact your REALskills! Account Manager.
Finally, schools can now offset the cost of the program through a unique Post Program Scholarship fund offered by Manpower. For each student that completes all phases of the program and then applies for and accepts a position and works a minimum number of hours with Manpower, Manpower is providing a scholarship fund of $250 per student back to the sponsoring high school. With this program, schools are now able to cost effectively offer students unlimited access to industry recognized comprehensive curriculums, on-site certification, and a unique intern placement program.
Q: Why should schools participate in the program?
A: To meet the rising challenge of providing educational opportunities that reflect our evolution to a knowledge based economy. The dynamic and rapid changes associated with technology today makes it difficult for industry and educational institutions to keep pace. In addition, as colleges and universities employ more and more technology in the delivery of their education programs, students must be technically prepared for today’s advanced post secondary learning environment. The program described above enables schools to meet these challenges by offering students highly relevant and current content on a variety of technologies.
Through this program, students can build a foundation for success now by participating in an integrated educational program that will prepare them for their post secondary work and/or careers. As escalating technology growth drives all industry’s increasing demands for IT professionals, new corporations will be attracted to states based, in part, on the availability of an ongoing supply of qualified, well-trained job candidates.