Certifications in computer areas: The demand for hiring employees with various certifications. An assessment of the workplace skills desired for placement of Mississippi Community College Information Systems Technology completers

The purpose of this study was to determine what human resource managers perceive to be the certifications, skills, and qualifications that are required by Mississippi service industries for hiring prospective employees educated in the Mississippi Community College Information Systems Technology Programs. The focus of the study was placement of postsecondary completers in service industries in Mississippi. Community colleges in Mississippi are providing an increasing number of courses and programs in IT fields including computer networking and programming requested by industry. The Mississippi Local Area Network Technology is a two-year program, which offers training in network technologies, administration, maintenance, and operating systems. Postsecondary Career and Technology educators are faced with the challenge of placing their program completers, which is one of the core indicators outlined by the Carl Perkins Act of 1998. In order to meet the required state placement levels of community college faculty will need to know what educational qualifications, workplace skills and computer certifications are in demand by employers to successfully train students for job placement from Information Systems Technology Programs. Placement is a measure of the percentage of students who completed or exited basic skills programs at the secondary level or occupational programs at the postsecondary level. Therefore, it is necessary that faculty know what employers are looking for in order to place students.; This study examined the desired educational qualifications by job titles and employment levels, the IT certifications in demand, the usage, and demand of IT skills, the importance of workplace skills, and recruitments methods used to hire IT professionals.; Employers are seeking employees that hold one or more the following IT certifications: (1) Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), (2) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), (3) Microsoft Training & Services, (4) Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), (5) A+ Service Technician Certification, (6) Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), (7) Network+, (8) Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) Certification, (9) Security+, and (10) Certified Novell Administrator (CNA). IT certifications can be a plus in landing a job, but is not the most important factor considered when hiring employees at the various job levels: entry, intermediate, senior or managerial. Service industries perceived doctoral degrees as an educational qualification for most entry-level IT positions. Personal referrals were the most common recruitment method used by employers.