Hong Kong Computer Society - enterpriseinnovation.net

HKCS: 40 years
COVERSTORY
to date: The University of Hong Kong’s
School of Professional and Continuing
Education, Hong Kong Productivity
Council’s Productivity Training Institute,
The Chinese University of Hong
Kong’s School of Continuing & Professional
Studies and Vocational Training
Council’s Institute of Professional Education
and Knowledge.
From L to R: Lester Li, Edith Mok, Agnes Mak, Andy Ho and Raymond Wong.
Design and Development branch were
developed in 2007.
The six CPIT titles developed so far
are all have a strong link with the QF.
The expert groups involved in the CPIT
certification development have made
use of these UoCs for the definition of
these required skills in each of the CPIT
titles. This is to ensure that holders of
these CPIT titles are those IT professionals
who possess the necessary skills
and have demonstrated sufficient competencies
in performing the work that is
required for the certification title. These
skills and competencies are assessed either
by peer expert review (for the three
senior titles) or by examination (for the
three junior titles).
Endorsement and support
from Industry
Since its inception, the CPIT scheme
is gaining more and more acceptance
by the industry. “CLP (China Light and
Power) is a very good example. They
list the CPIT titles as a recommended
qualification in their job recruitment
advertisement. They even fully sponsor
their staff to get certification with
these titles,” said Agnes Mak, director
in-charge of the HKITPC, a HKCS distinguished
fellow and a former HKCS
president (1995-1998). Joe Locandro,
director of IT, CLP said, “At CLP, we
appreciate and respect the certifications
awarded by the Institute. The certifications
enable us to recruit professional
IT personnel more readily, while allowing
us to develop and retain outstanding
talents.”
To help those junior level applicants
to prepare for the CPIT examinations,
HKITPC has joined forces with local
training and education institutes
to provide relevant CPIT examination
preparatory courses. These courses are
all monitored by HKITPC to ensure
alignment with the CPIT scheme requirements
in terms of course contents,
course delivery and the qualifications of
the course instructors. Four course providers
have been endorsed by HKITPC
Homegrown credentials
The CPIT titles bear the fruits of
more than 10 years of planning and development
by volunteers from different
ICT associations, academics and supporting
organisations in Hong Kong.
These homegrown professional ICT
titles were developed in response to the
adaptation to local circumstances. As illustrated
by Andy KW Ho, a member of
the Certification Board of HKITPC and
regional I/T security manager of IBM
Global Services Asia Pacific, why the
CPIT (Information Security Officer)
In mid 2007, IT professionals in Hong Kong were for the
first time accredited with homegrown IT professional
titles with the launch of three senior level credentials.
—Agnes Mak
title will potentially be in hot demand
in the community, “In the past, security
professionals used to take international
exams to be certified in the area of information
security. The problem with
international exams, however, was the
high threshold that they imposed on the
candidates, [which requires a minimum
of three years of related work experience].
As a result, local fresh graduates
and those who seek to change their field
to information security have difficulties
continued on page 34 4
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Nov 2009 Computerworld Hong Kong 33