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Microsoft Betas Learning Consultant Certification for MCTs
The new title will recognize “the practice” of designing and delivering custom learning solutions for organizations.
Microsoft released details Tuesday on its new Microsoft Certified Learning
Consultant (MCLC) certification at TechEd 2005 Europe in Amsterdam. Currently
in beta, it will be open to all Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) beginning
Oct. 1.
The MCLC expands on the general training credential of the MCT but focuses
on the training professional’s ability to “design, develop and deliver
consultative learning solutions based on Microsoft technologies and products,”
said Ken Rosen, senior marketing manager of Microsoft’s MCT program. “Target
customers are enterprise organizations who want tailored, rather than off-the-shelf
solutions, to address their business needs.”
Though the MCLC is based on the MCT, it’s not a “master”
or “expert” version of the trainer certification, according to Rosen.
“MCLC indicates ‘additional’ learning-related expertise beyond
the classroom, not stronger classroom training expertise.”
To obtain the expanded Microsoft credential, candidates must be, first of all,
active MCTs. They must be able to demonstrate their experience in providing
learning solutions for customers by submitting a case study, which is reviewed
and approved by a regional review board of practicing learning consultants,
managers of learning consultants or industry experts. Also required are a career
advancement certification, such as one of Microsoft’s other IT certifications,
and a customer ROI attestation letter in which a customer verifies the description
of the project in the case study, the role played by the candidate and the results
achieved by the solution.
Unlike the MCT, the MCLC has no minimum delivery requirement. “Because
learning consultants spend much of their time out of the classroom—and
because particularly intense projects may take them completely out of the classroom
for the duration of the project—the minimum delivery requirement is waived
for MCLCs regardless of tenure,” Rosen said. “In other words, the
minimum ‘delivery’ requirement is replaced by a minimum ‘practice’
requirement.”
MCTs with less than five years of tenure in the program are required to deliver
training using official Microsoft Learning products to a minimum of 15 students
per year.
MCLCs must renew their titles yearly and are required to submit an additional
case study every two years. No additional subscription fees other than those
for the MCT are required for 2005-2006. Applications for new MCLCs will be accepted
quarterly in October, January, April and July.
Microsoft plans to disclose more details about the MCLC at its Microsoft Worldwide
Partner Conference in Minneapolis later this week.