Is the FOA Certification Valuable
What Is Certification Exactly?
In today's high tech world, certification is considered proof of professional status and is often required for jobs. The FOA was chartered as a professional association to promote professionalism in fiber optics through education, certification and standards. FOA certifications are recognized by the US Department of Labor and many other organizations worldwide.
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The FOA is a member of ANSI (the American National Standards Institute). FOA certifications generally follow to the international standard for certification bodies, ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. Certification means you have achieved certain performance criteria set by the certifying organization, usually knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), either through training or experience. Certifications attest to your KSAs, and their value is the recognition of those KSAs to customers, coworkers and employers.
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Certification is not a substitute for experience. FOA certifications ensure the person has an industry-accepted level of knowledge, skills and abilities as measured by the certification, but the certified technician is expected to improve those skills with on-the-job training. Those hiring fiber optic technicians should include other criteria as well as certifications when evaluating personnel, including references, experience and other related training and experience.
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Certification is NOT a license, which is a official approval of an individual to do business in the jurisdiction issuing the license, such as a state in the USA. Many states in the USA now require licensing for contractors installing communications cabling. Check your local area to determine the requirements for licensing of fiber optic and low voltage contractors.
What Are the Benefits of FOA Certification ?
Like any certification program, the benefits to the members who pass the certification tests are based on the recognition of achieving a level of competence in the fiber optics field. For the end user looking for competent fiber optic personnel, it is the knowledge that this person has demonstrated knowledge and ability in the field and, perhaps even has documented experience. For the vendor of fiber optic products, it offers a technically- qualified pool of employees as well as contractors to recommend to end user customers who need to find installers for their networks. Many companies require FOA certifications or even offer FOA certifications to their personnel through internal training classes.
Verification Of Certification
You may be asked to verify your certification by employers or customers. Have them contact the FOA. If the FOA is contacted regarding the status of your certification, they will confirm your certification(s) and the expiration date. If you have expired, they will say you were certified at the date of your first certification and are now inactive. FOA respects your privacy and will not divulge any other information. Visit the FOA at: www.thefoa.org for more information.
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How Does the FOA Program Relate to Other Associations?
We are often asked how the FOA relates to other organizations like contractor associations, professional societies and other organizations involved in fiber optic communications and related areas. The FOA is a technology-based professional association, focused on the technology which is used in many diverse applications represented by many other organizations. In fact many organizations recognize and use the FOA certifications and they work with others to help develop theirs with respect to the FOA's specialties.
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To read more about FOA Certifications, visit "Understanding the FOA Certification" at: https://www.foa.org/Certs.htm
Please contact us regarding your desire to become an FOA Certified Technician. You will be glad you did.
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Now go out there and do the right thing.
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PREPARE TO LEARN!
To request more information:
Contact The Fiber Optic Academy
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info@TheFiberOpticAcademy.com
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