CRN Research: Large VARs Weigh In On Certification Training

This exclusive study focuses on the certifications that solution providers think will be most important to their business operations over the next six to 12 months, as rated by the solution providers themselves (a list appears in the Aug. 25 issue).

Individuals holding these certifications were questioned on a wide range of topics, but today's report concentrates on training preferences that large solution providers--those with at least $5 million in annual revenue--hold for each of these certifications.

CRN asked respondents to specify which type of training they preferred for the certification(s) they hold, specifically for initial training (as opposed to training to maintain or update the certification). Five possible choices were specified: on-site classroom, remote classroom, self-paced programs (e.g. books or CDs), instructor-led online and self-paced online.

In many cases, solution provider personnel said they strongly prefer classroom methods to either online or self-paced programs when it comes to initial training for a certification. This trend is most evident among those holding the Symantec SCSP or SCSE certifications, where more than two-thirds prefer classroom training. On average, only about one-third of large solution providers, regardless of certification, said they prefer online methods (either instructor-led or self-paced).

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The more advanced or specialized the certification, or the "newer" the certification in terms of when vendors began to offer it to VARs, the higher the percentage of solution providers that prefer classroom-type training. (The Microsoft MCSD certification is an exception.) This is not surprising, as solution providers taking initial training for these types of certifications have indicated a strong desire for structured programs with a live instructor ready and waiting to answer questions on the spot.

But training preferences change radically among large solution providers when it comes to training geared toward maintaining or updating an existing certification. Regardless of certification, there is a strong, across-the-board preference for self-paced programs as opposed to classroom training.

The differences are dramatic in some cases. While 38 percent of those holding the Check Point CCSE certification prefer self-paced methods for initial training, this figure jumps to 64 percent for maintenance training. For the Cisco CCIE certification, the figures are 31 percent and 54 percent, respectively.

Even among certifications where solution providers prefer self-paced programs for initial training, the preference grows stronger when it comes to maintenance training. Fifty-two percent of those holding the Microsoft MCSE certification prefer self-paced programs for initial training, rising to 61 percent for maintenance training.

Solution provider personnel have made it clear that once they hold a particular certification, self-paced programs, either online or using materials such as books and CDs, save them time and effort that would otherwise be wasted by sitting in a classroom. Self-paced programs give technicians the flexibility to study as time allows and to skip sections they already know, allowing them to maximize the number of hours they can spend on billable projects.

Technicians also cite the fact that when it comes to maintenance training, individuals of different skill levels are often lumped together in the same classroom, resulting in more knowledgeable personnel needing to waste time while lesser-skilled people are brought up to speed. Self-paced programs allow these technicians to avoid this situation.

Slightly more than half of respondents surveyed, regardless or certification, said online training--either instructor-led or self-paced--is their preferred method for maintenance training.

While this is considerably higher than the one-third of respondents who cited this method as preferred for initial certification training, it shows that vendors still have a ways to go when it comes to building effective online training programs. On average, only 43 percent of technicians, regardless of the certifications they hold, think that online training is "effective" or "very effective" when it comes to providing needed skills for either initial or maintenance training, while nearly one in five think such training is "slightly" or "not at all" effective.

Next week: Training preferences for small solution providers.

John Roberts is director of editorial research for CRN. He can be reached at [email protected]

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Percentage Of Large VARs Preferring Classroom Methods
Name
For initial training
For maintenance training
Symantec SCSP
68%
13%
Symantec SCSE
67
19
Cisco CCIE
61
32
Check Point CCSE
56
29
Red Hat RHCE
55
36
Check Point CCSA
52
32
Microsoft MCDBA
51
32
Cisco CCSP
50
35
Microsoft MCSA
47
33
Microsoft MCSD
42
20
Oracle Cert. Prof. DBA
39
25
Cisco CCNA
34
21
Microsoft MCSE
33
19
Percentage Of Large VARs Preferring Self-Paced Programs (Either online or through books and CDs)
Name
For initial training
For maintenance training
Symantec SCSP
21%
76%
Symantec SCSE
26
78
Cisco CCIE
31
54
Check Point CCSE
38
64
Red Hat RHCE
37
53
Check Point CCSA
37
62
Microsoft MCDBA
37
55
Cisco CCSP
43
51
Microsoft MCSA
45
56
Microsoft MCSD
50
66
Oracle Cert. Prof. DBA
52
63
Cisco CCNA
48
65
Microsoft MCSE
52
61

Base: A total of 1,239 responses from large solution providers for the certifications listed above.

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Source: 2003 CRN Certification Study