For many organizations, 2020 brought work to a halt. Plans for in-person gatherings and other high priority projects were canceled or put on hold. Thanks to the commitment of those who make up this organization, including members, leaders and the Task Forces, the ITCC was able to make incredible progress during a year that was anything but typical. The dedication to building community and offering support resulted in a year that saw a record number of new members, an unrelenting momentum for providing valuable resources and finding innovative ways to gather (virtually).
Making It Easier to Connect
Earlier this fall, the ITCC made it easier for its members to connect with one another through new functionality on the organization’s redesigned website. The internal portal allows members to collaborate with one another, at a time when we all needed it the most. The website redesign work also provided the organization with the opportunity to refresh its logo, something the ITCC sees as an integral part of their continued commitment to serving the industry and its workforce.
Resources and Recognition
ITCC members were busy this year creating resources to educate other members about topics and trends within the IT certification industry. ITCC Task Forces, the heart of the organization, completed five projects, including:
- COVID-19 Impact Considerations
- Considerations for Exam Development in an Agile Product Environment
- Exam Security Threats Survey
- Certification Journey White Paper
- Badging Survey
The ITCC rounded out the year in new resources through its release of the IDC Analyst Brief: Four Ways Certifications Help Organizations Achieve Their IT Strategy.
Another priority for the ITCC is recognizing innovations in testing, processes or service within the IT certification industry. Now in its sixth year, the 2020 Innovation Award went to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). HPE beat out a long list of competitors, with 11 submissions for the 2020 award.
Connecting Virtually
One important aspect of being a member of an organization is the ability to meet with other members for collaboration, best practice sharing and relationship building. While 2020 reduced organizations’ ability to bring their members together in person, the ITCC found ways to safely meet through a number of virtual sessions. This year, the ITCC held 24 member education and open sessions where emerging topics and trends were discussed, along with tips for how IT certification professionals could implement these ideas into their organizations. As always, for members who were unable to attend the live sessions, each event was recorded for members to access at a later date. The Task Forces were also busy, meeting nearly 30 times this year.
Record-Breaking Growth
The high quality work and commitment ITCC members and organizations have for the IT certification industry and the professionals within it, as well as the valuable resources that are created for ITCC members by ITCC members has spread. This year saw record-breaking numbers for new member growth. The ITCC now serves just under 200 individual members from 39 companies. This growth is a testament to the value our members provide to the industry – thank you for being part of that contribution!
Passing the Torch
The record growth seen by the ITCC this year wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of current ITCC Board of Directors Chair, Kristin Wall. After serving as Board Chair since June 2016, Kristin has decided not to run for Chair again this year and instead will pass the torch to the next generation of ITCC leadership.
Kristin joined the ITCC in 2014 before becoming Vice-Chair of the Board in 2015 and Board Chair in 2016. She currently works at IBM as their Certification Strategy Lead.
One of Kristin’s major accomplishments and contributions to the ITCC has been her focus on membership. In 2016, the ITCC had its lowest number of member companies, at only 17. Kristin went to work to find out why membership was decreasing and how to fix it. She conducted focus groups to gather feedback from current members; changed the agendas for ITCC meetings to include new sessions like member spotlights and vendor panels; and launched open Q&A forums to allow members to ask the community questions between the regular in-person meetings. As a result of her efforts, membership has grown 125 percent under her leadership, which has allowed the organization to move forward and expand on projects that will continue to give back to the certification community.
Thank you, Kristin, for your dedication to serving the IT certification industry and its professionals. The entire ITCC community thanks you for your time and commitment to this organization and its people.
