How Can We Motivate Students to Get Certified?

I really appreciate your support and feedback! So, before the school year ends, I would like for us to discuss one more topic as a group.

The IT program at Marshall County is evaluated by the state of Kentucky based on student achievement in:

1. The number of industry certifications (Cisco, Novell, Microsoft, CompTIA, etc.) successfully passed by students. The MC IT program currently prepares students for the CompTIA A+ and the Cisco CCNA certifications.
   
2. Kentucky Occupational Skills Standards Assessment (KOSSA) - Communications - which is a very general exam and will be replaced next year by a KOSSA assessment designed specifically for IT.

But the problem we run into is that students are hesitant to take certifications. Some students can't afford the cost required to take the certification exam(s), others may be intimidated by the unknown or difficulty of the exam. And some students just lack motivation, or don't see the importance of getting a certification, so they continually put it off.

So here's the questions I would like to discuss:

1. How important are certifications to your business or place of employment?
   
   
2. How can we motivate students to get industry certifications while in high school?
   
   
3. What can businesses and teachers do to help students overcome obstacles, such as fear, money, and apathy?

I appreciate your thoughts and feedback!


Cheyenne Koch