Western Australian students gain WACE credit for “real-world” Microsoft Certifications
Announcement posted by That Quirky PR Company 15 Sep 2014
School Curriculum and Standards Authority endorse certification of the suite of Microsoft Certification Examinations as credit towards the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) from 2015.
A pass in a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) or Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) exam will provide the student with one unit equivalent towards the WACE.
Microsoft Australia National Education Director, George Stavrakakis, identifies that “by gaining WACE credit for MOS and MTA certifications, Western Australian high school students will achieve state and industry recognition of technology skills that are critical for employment in today’s workforce” George adds “with programs such as IT Academy, Microsoft is committed to ensuring that schools can prepare their graduates for the new world of work”.
From 2015, students in senior secondary schools in Western Australia can count a maximum of four unit equivalents from endorsed programs, such as the Microsoft Certification Program, towards the WACE breadth-and-depth requirement of 20 units.
Hamilton Senior High School is excited about the news that Microsoft Certifications have been endorsed. As a school leading technology integration into the curriculum, Deputy Principal Phil Casas, recognises that the opportunity for the school to “have students gain maximum benefit from Microsoft Certification and WACE is an enormous prospect and dovetails perfectly with existing curriculum choices”.
As one of only four secondary schools in WA to have an Approved Specialist Program in Information and Communication Technologies, Hamilton High students are offered Certificate II programs in Information Technology, Business Services and Telecommunications.
IC Central’s Academic Program Manager Cheryl White is working with schools around Australia who are interested in offering Certification Programs. “Providing student’s with access to Certification Programs in their secondary schooling enables them to gain proficiency and skills in commonly used applications so they can focus on being creative in their pursuit of further study or a career.”
For more information about how students can gain WACE credit for passing Microsoft Certifications contact the Academic Team at IC Central on 1300 44 55 60.
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