ICT-DM Sector Update
By Steve Wright, Statewide Director, ICT-DM Sector, CA Community Colleges
The 200,000 students and faculty of the ICT Sector are well accustomed to curriculum, classes, labs and certification testing that are completed in virtual and remote formats. The ICT sector team response to the pandemic campus closures will be to
support the expanded scale and quality of remote learning, testing and job acquisition.
In this special CCC issue we feature the latest information we have on the Job Market impact, Remote Certification Testing, Virtual Labs, as well as teaching online ICT classes. With rapid adoption and deployment we hope to share new options as well as success stories in upcoming newsletters.
The ICT-DM Job Market
To address the matter of available jobs, our first call was to John Reed, Executive VP at Robert Half, specializing in IT technician and help desk placement nationwide, to inquire on the likely effect this crisis will have on the job market.
“It’s a topic I am sensitive to as I have a daughter who graduates in May,” Reed said. “My best advice right now is to not panic, realize that there will still be a demand for talented, hardworking employees that can bring creative problem solving to the table. Just be prepared to exercise a little more patience as a job seeker. Once we get on the other side of this, opportunities will open back up in a significant way as we anticipate pent up demand to open up.
In the meantime, remain diligent in networking, applying for roles, following up with previous contacts and keeping your contact communications warm and consistent
.”
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ONLINE TESTING INFORMATION
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By Rachel R. Watkins Schoenig, Cornerstone Strategies, LLC
Five weeks ago, we would have had a hard time imagining universities and testing centers across California all shutting down at the same time. Today, it’s our reality. With orders to close all but essential businesses, educational courses and testing is moving online in an effort to continue to serve students and adult workers. We’ve been asked to share
what faculty and students need to know about online testing
, and to address whether this is ushering in a “new normal” in certification testing.
Quick tips for educators:
- Address exam security, academic integrity and privacy considerations (helpful worksheets and checklists are linked in article)
- Set the tone and expectations for your students, including potential consequences
- Testing programs for certification or licensure exams will dictate online testing and proctoring requirements
- Many IT certifications are already available online and can be taken via remote proctoring
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Certiport is offering a
free 90-day trial of curriculum and courseware
that can be used by students at home or in other remote locations. This offer, in response to the challenges that many are facing caused by the COVID–19 epidemic can help minimize the disruption to learning by providing tools which will allow students and teachers to remain engaged in their coursework and academic pursuits on campus or at home.
To gain access to these resources for your school, visit
www.certiport.com
and register for a Certiport account in the top right corner. Then register as a Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC) by following the steps on the Registering a CATC PDF.
There is no charge for registering as a CATC
. Once your school has been setup as a Certiport Authorized Testing Center, you will be able to request your free 90-day trial of our Learning Products.
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REMOTE TESTING ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR VENDOR-SPECIFIC CERTIFICATIONS
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Candidates can now take all
AWS Certification
exams with online proctoring. Please note t
hat due to high demand, the wait time for online-proctored appointments may be longer than usual. To learn more about online proctoring, including how to get started and how it works, visit the
Pearson VUE site
.
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By Markus Geissler and Shawn Monsen, ICT-DM Sector
To increase opportunities for continuing student learning while campuses are closed, the North/Far North Regional Consortium is making its NFNRC NETLAB Virtual Networking Environment available to college professors, middle and high school teachers, and their students throughout the region. The Bay Region Community College Consortium has also reached out to instructors, offering to create and host custom labs and pods inside its NETLAB system.
Classes that would most benefit from NETLAB include those where students need to access Cisco networking equipment, but any course which has students use specialized software that would not ordinarily be easily available to them, such as Quickbooks or Microsoft or Linux server operating systems, could use NETLAB to make the software available from off-campus.
Read more
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With college campuses closed,
virtual labs have become a necessity for many classes
, even outside of IT. Several colleges in the South Central Coast and Inland Empire/Desert Regions are using Practice Labs as the virtual lab solution and are in various stages of implementation while also transitioning to online teaching. This is a perfect opportunity for a 'user group' discussion!
Faculty, IT administrators and other stakeholders are invited to join us on
Friday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m. PST
to ask questions and learn practical applications that will enhance your online classes right now. Learn how to connect Practice Labs to Canvas Shells through a live demo by SynED, and get the latest news from Practice Labs CEO Ricky Doyle and ICT-DM Regional Directors Paula Hodge (South Central Coast) and Susanne Mata (Inland Empire/Desert).
Register here
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REGIONAL RESPONSE FEATURE
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By Paula Hodge, ICT-DM Regional Director, South Central Coast Region
The South Central Coast Region recently acquired a regional contract for its eight colleges with LinkedIn Learning, funded in March 2020. Although there was a launch strategy for CTE student access, the region immediately pivoted to not only support CTE ICT/DM Faculty but
all
CTE Faculty across the region for delivering education online.
ICT faculty from Cuesta, Oxnard, Moorpark, and Antelope Valley volunteered to “beta” test with Paula Hodge, Regional Director. LinkedIn is collaborating with the team to be able to deliver access and faculty driven content to students across the region. The team will be sending video instruction and other support to all CTE Faculty and CTE Deans to support their needs.
Learn more here
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Olivia Herriford’s passion for inclusivity in technology began when she received a computer science degree in 1973. For nearly 40 years, she’s built a career of servant leadership aimed at creating diverse and truly inclusive work environments across the public and private sectors. She now brings that experience to the ICT-DM sector as the newest Regional Director in the Bay Area.
“My personal experience that began as a URM student in STEM and then a Black woman in tech brings a rare and necessary perspective needed in any role that aims to develop a workforce that reflects California,” Herriford said. “I’m excited about potential opportunities to lead collaborative projects such as K-14 pathways, cross-discipline curriculum, shared regional advisories, and expanding faculty professional development to include andragogy for equity.”
Read more here
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Steve Wright, Sector Navigator
ICT-Digital Media Sector
California Community Colleges
805.231-8444
steve@wrightca.com
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