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| navigate: home: magazine: fall 2000: article | |
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Webmaster Certificate program trains the tech workforce of tomorrow By Celena E. Kusch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From electronic forms to secure on-line financial transactions, the slick graphic interface and functionality that users have come to expect from the World Wide Web demands an attention to bandwidth limits, legal rights, technical troubleshooting and creative programming. Remarkably, nearly 75 percent of the Internet development professionals responsible for maintaining a safe and effective Internet are in their first Webmaster position, and a 1995 Collaborative Research survey revealed that at that time, 100 percent were self-taught. The growing demand for Webmaster skills and services guarantees that society will not be able to take this new profession for granted much longer. Today’s information technology (IT) industry is facing a labor shortage estimated at between 295,000 and 350,000 skilled workers. Even projected increases in the number of work visas issued to IT professionals from abroad will not be enough to meet future demand. A year-old Penn State Webmaster Certificate program sponsored by the College of Engineering and the School of Information Sciences and Technology and delivered through Continuing Education and the Penn State World Campus has demonstrated success in helping workers develop skills to meet these needs. The program is designed for individuals who want to pursue new careers as Internet professionals or to increase their value to a current employer by acquiring Internet development skills. The program’s 12-course series covers the basics of Internet technology and network administration, as well as detailed instruction in programming, design and the legal and business strategies behind producing Web sites. “The Webmaster Certificate is a signature workforce development program,” said Dr. Frederick D. Loomis, director of the Solutions Institute in Penn State’s School of Information Sciences and Technology. “The statewide course offerings allow Penn State to meet the demand for more trained professionals with needed skills in Web design and new media development. We have a dynamic vision for this program, including continued development to meet evolving industry standards and to provide for additional options and career tracks for professionals in this growing field.” The pilot course offering was completed in the spring of 1999. Since then, more than 8,100 students have enrolled, with more than 1,100 through the World Campus alone. Students may enroll locally through Continuing Education programs offered in computer labs at 19 Penn State campuses and centers throughout the Commonwealth. Learners worldwide may complete the program on-line through the World Campus, where they work with an instructor, participate in informal student chat sessions and have access to a full range of University student support services and resources. Students who complete the noncredit program receive a Penn State certificate and become eligible for certification through the Association of Internet Professionals (AIP). Penn State’s Webmaster Certificate program was the first program from a higher education institution to achieve that certification from the international group’s Certification Accreditation Council (ACAC). “Penn State’s Webmaster Certificate program has significant implications for workforce development throughout the Commonwealth,” said Edward Donovan, director of Statewide Programs for Penn State Continuing Education and Outreach. “By designing our courses to meetindustry-established standards, we have ensured the high-quality education and responsiveness to community needs that are the hallmark of Penn State Outreach programming. We are already establishing a new E-Commerce Certification Program and plan to increase offerings to meet ACAC Webmaster Level II standards. Such efforts will position Penn State as a strong provider of IT continuing education services, statewide and even nationwide.” “Right now, literally hundreds of programs issue their own certificates for Internet professionals, but no one really knows what it means or how it compares,” explained Andrew Kraft, executive director of the Association of Internet Professionals. “Our standards set a bar that human resources professionals and the students themselves can use to ensure content quality and uniformity in choosing among the many options for certificate programs. Penn State was really the first major university to join our certification board, and they have taken a leadership role in the process.” In addition to AIP approval, the World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) has also endorsed the Penn State program. Bill Cullifer, vice president and executive director of WOW, noted, “Penn State has shown a strong interest in mapping their program onto internationally accepted guidelines for educating Webmasters. Our standards focus on education in three critical areas: a thorough understanding of Web content development, Web technical management and Web business skills required in today’s highly competitive marketplace. We have looked at the variety in the Penn State curriculum, and we believe the program is excellent.” Already students are reporting positive outcomes from their participation in the course. Pam Eisele of Reading, Pa., completed the Webmaster program at Penn State Berks last December. This spring, she was hired as Webmaster and Web site development specialist for the Berks County Intermediate Unit, “thanks to all the great classes and instructors,” she said. Eisele added she would “like to continue with some classes (just to keep up to date and current in the field). I can’t think of anywhere I’d like to go but Penn State.” Indeed, the program intends to expand to keep pace with new developments and meet ongoing needs. Future plans for the program include developing courses to meet emerging standards for certification in specialized job roles, such as networking, visual and graphic design, database management and Web management. For more information about the Penn State Webmaster Certificate, visit the Web site at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/webmaster/. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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© 2002 Outreach Communications, Outreach & Cooperative Extension, The Pennsylvania State University phone: (814) 865-8108, fax: (814) 863-2765, e-mail: outreachnews@outreach.psu.edu |
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