What is the I-ADVANCE© Certification Program?
The I-ADVANCE© Certification Program is a professional certification that recognizes the technical, business and interpersonal skills of information and communications technology (ICT) practitioners and managers within the industry. It is a voluntary certification that will enable ICT practitioners to demonstrate their depth of knowledge and skills of an ICT profession against national industry standards.
Who is I-ADVANCE© for?
I-ADVANCE© is available to ICT practitioners with a few years of relevant industry experience. These individuals may be seeking an independent validation of their skills in comparison to national industry standards or need a well-defined path to advance their careers in the ICT industry. This certification is accessible to ICT practitioners who have formal academic qualifications in ICT or non-ICT fields as well as internationally educated ICT practitioners.
Why is I-ADVANCE© needed?
Canada’s ICT industry needs a professional certification program that will deliver a consistent standard of quality ICT practitioners and will recognize a broader scope of competencies including technical knowledge, industry experience, business and interpersonal skills. Furthermore, there is currently no comprehensive career-development map for ICT practitioners in Canada to advance their career. The I-ADVANCE© Certification Program will address these needs, and provide a common definition to measure and assess the skills and competencies needed within the ICT industry.
Why is the ICTC responsible for developing I-ADVANCE©?
ICTC has been mandated to develop an ICT professional certification by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program. ICTC is well positioned to develop and deliver this certification given its national reach and extensive networks with ICT employers, practitioners, educators and industry groups. It also has existing programs, such as the Labour Market Information, Competency Profiles Framework and the Internationally Educated Professionals that complement this program.
How is I-ADVANCE© being developed?
ICTC is developing I-ADVANCE© using the standards of the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 17024 which outlines the methodology to successfully develop professional certification programs. The foundation for this program was built from ICTC’s extensive labour market research, ICTC’s Competency Profiles, reviews of industry trends, and consultations between industry, government, educational institutions and ICT practitioners. Moving forward, ICTC will continue to work closely with all its stakeholders to develop and refine I-ADVANCE© to make it available for Canada’s ICT industry.
How does I-ADVANCE© differ from other certifications in the market?
I-ADVANCE© will complement existing vendor and professional certifications by providing a broader view of the ICT industry by validating not only the technical skills but also the soft skills required within the industry, such as business knowledge and interpersonal skills. I-ADVANCE© will work hand-in-hand with other certifying bodies.
What is the difference between certification and certificate?
A certification is the result of an industry-wide assessment process that recognizes an individual’s skills, knowledge and competency in a specific task. It requires professional experience and is generally awarded by a third-party organization within the industry. A certificate is the result of an educational process that demonstrates the individual’s knowledge of the course content developed by that organization. It is awarded by an educational organization rather than an industry group.
How long does it take to become certified?
The length of certification will vary for everyone, depending on an ICT practitioners’ current level of competencies and their final career destination.
When will I-ADVANCE© be available?
ICTC and its partners are currently in the pilot testing phase to establish the certification for software practitioners. Once this pilot test is completed, the other certification programs for the remaining five career designations will be developed and implemented. Our goal is to make I- ADVANCE© available by 2011.
How can I get involved?
The involvement of industry and ICT practitioners is critical to the success of this program. If you are interested in participating in the development of I-ADVANCE© please contact us at
i-advance@ictc-ctic.ca