FEATURE: TRAINING
Many deem regulation as being a time-
consuming paper exercise. However, it
is needed. You wouldn’t dream of being
an electrician without having the right
certifications; it should be the same for those
working within network cabling considering
the importance of the task being carried out.
Everyone talks about quality of installation
but how do we currently know the installers
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genuinely have a structured investment
programme in training and on-going
education for mission-critical people? People
are the very lifeblood of any business and
organisations need to understand this in
order to continue to thrive.
The business case to invest in on-going
professional development and certification
for existing teams is strong. By harnessing
INDUSTRY NEEDS TO RECOGNISE
NETWORK CABLING INFRASTRUCTURE
AS THE FOURTH UTILITY AND GIVE IT
THE IMPORTANCE IT DESERVES.
have adopted the current standards and
codes of practice during the install?
It could be self-regulated. However, this would
involve the entire industry working together
to agree processes that would work for all.
Creating our own benchmark as a minimum
and this being accepted and recognised
throughout the industry is the first step.
Yes, it would need to be policed and
externally, otherwise it has no value
whatsoever. This echoes previous discussions
about the need for a trusted trade
association that could take this on, put
the processes in place and manage it for
everyone, effectively becoming the central
watchdog for all.
Government regulation may occur in the
future, as public awareness focuses more on
connectivity. I believe the penny will drop
soon within government, and as an industry
we would be in a far stronger position if we
already have effective self-regulation in place.
How can this risk be reduced
by having professionally
certified teams?
Every business claims that its people are their
most important asset and the primary driver
of success. But, how many organisations
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INTELLIGENTCIO
current skills and embarking on a structured
approach to career development, in the
form of new learning and skills development
enhanced by professional qualifications and
industry recognised certification, data centre
managers can be confident that the data
centre is in the right technical hands. They
will also benefit from:
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•
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Increased quality of service to clients
Increased confidence in teams
Increased competitive advantage
Reduced people-related risk
Staff retention and loyalty
Enhanced employee satisfaction and
increased morale
• Increased employee contributions due
to the added confidence and new skills
after training
• Training/certification return on investment
The organisation would also prove to be a
more attractive employer to potential new
staff. This competitive edge could allow the
organisation to be confident and therefore
help attract the highest calibre talent.
How would you describe
current attitudes towards
ongoing education?
Attitudes vary on this one. For example,
in the Middle East we have found that
industry professionals are proud of their
achievements and really value their
certificates. In the US there seems to be a
culture of life-long learning, where it is the
norm to continue to enhance knowledge,
skills and professional certifications.
By contrast, within the UK, the request for
training or education is often seen as a
weakness, whereby instead of seeing the
positivity of the outcomes of new learning, it
is looked upon negatively as having to fill the
gap when skills and knowledge are lacking.
However, generally, I think the industry is
listening, but I think there is still a lot of work
to be done to ensure companies understand
what a qualification is and how they differ
to certifications. More importantly, there
is still a lack of understanding surrounding
the benefits that a skilled, knowledgeable
and well-trained workforce will bring to an
organisation; it can drive profit and it can go
straight to the bottom line.
Why is ongoing technical
development so crucial?
Within fast-moving technical environments,
such as the data centre industry, there
is a need to adopt a positive attitude
towards training and on-going professional
development. Only then will professionals
THE BUSINESS CASE TO INVEST IN ON-
GOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AND CERTIFICATION FOR EXISTING
TEAMS IS STRONG.
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