Which is the "most in-demand" course/ qualification(s)?

lister

Which are the most "in-demand" qualifications?

Would you say that compTIA A+ and CEH?

I run a college and am thinking about offering some IT Qualifications - so Im just doing some research here.

Thanks VERY much for all replies.

ptilsen

In-demand is actually a difficult term to quantify, in this case. A+, for example, might have the one of the largest number of positions looking for it, but those are for entry-level positions paying relatively little. Positions requiring CCIE, by comparison, are probably less common, but it represents a much higher career level than A+ and jobs asking for CCIE pay anywhere from five to twenty times as much as jobs asking for A+.

That being said, there are some staples in each industry area as far as certifications go.
General:
A+, Network+
Microsoft:
MCSA, MCSE
Cisco:
CCNA, CCNP, CCIE
RedHat:
RHCSA, RHCE, RHCA
Security:
Security+, CISSP, CISA,
Project Management:
CAPM, PMP
VMware:
VCP, VCAP, VCDX

There are many others I could list, but this is already too many to even consider. It really depends on what kind of program you're running. More and more colleges are offering certification-focused degree programs. Some are good, some are not. For comparison, look at WGU.edu. The IT bachelors degrees listed there are mostly made up of industry staples that belong in those programs, although there are a few that are too basic or too low-demand to be there (CIW, for example, is one vendor that has very little demand).

NetworkVeteran

lister wrote: »

Would you say that compTIA A+ and CEH?

A+ sounds reasonable if you mean "what more employers want" as opposed to "what employers compensate best for." The CEH wouldn't make the cut by either of those standards.

pstilsen wrote:

In-demand is actually a difficult term to quantify, in this case. A+, for example, might have the one of the largest number of positions looking for it, but those are for entry-level positions paying relatively little. Positions requiring CCIE, by comparison, are probably less common, but it represents a much higher career level than A+ and jobs asking for CCIE pay anywhere from five to twenty times as much as jobs asking for A+.

^ This.

lister

Thanks for the replies - really helpful.

Let me ask you as well please - how would you describe the profile of a compTIA and a CISCO CCNA student in terms of age and background?

Thanks very much.

NetworkVeteran

lister wrote: »

Thanks for the replies - really helpful.

Let me ask you as well please - how would you describe the profile of a compTIA and a CISCO CCNA student in terms of age and background?

The A+ is geared towards PC repair. The CCNA is geared towards network support. The A+ will more readily lead to a paycheck. The CCNA is harder but leads to a better paycheck.

They're entry-level certifications--what you typically obtain just before or after entering their respective fields. Obviously, folks who are just about to graduate from high school or college would be prime candidates, as would folks looking for work while in college. You'd also get folks looking for a career change. The pre-requisites are minimal and almost any background is acceptable.

Whether to go A+, A+ then CCNA, or CCNA depends on a candidate's background and goals. I know, for me and the type of work I wanted, going straight for CCNA made sense.