The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers announced this morning that it will offer a record 50 virtual classes this year, including nine new or revised courses, across a wide range of technical areas.
The SCTE said this year’s virtual lineup was a 35 percent increase over the 37 classes it offered last year and double the number of classes from 2011. Total yearly SCTE professional development registrations increased from 164 in 2009 to more than 600 last year. Total registrations over the past three years exceeded 1,100.
This year the SCTE is offering the following new courses: Business Class Service Specialist (BCSS), Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS), Broadband Transport Specialist (BTS), Home Networking with Wi-Fi, DOCSIS Systems and Wi-Fi Hotspots (CWTS).
“Cable’s commitment to preparing today’s workforce for the networks of tomorrow has created tremendous demand for more efficient training, including an increased emphasis on distance learning,” said Daniel Howard, senior vice president of engineering and CTO for the SCTE. “SCTE is working directly with operators and vendors to create an expanded portfolio of virtual courses that provide high-quality training, are aligned with the industry needs and can be easily accessed by the student.”
In addition, SCTE classes on Ethernet Transport, IPv6: Impact on Cable Networks and DOCSIS Channel Bonding have been revised to reflect new information in those areas. The SCTE said a large number of its courses were designed to prepare students for industry certifications and qualify for college credits.
“The cable workforce has benefitted greatly over the years from the breadth and quality of SCTE professional development,” said Terry Cordova, senior vice president and CTO of Suddenlink Communications. “By making a greater amount of virtual training material available, SCTE is continuing to lay the foundation for higher levels of success within the cable engineering and operations communities.”
SCTE’s Professional Development group offers nine certifications, including: BCSS (Business Class Services Specialist), BPI (Broadband Premises Installer), BPT (Broadband Premises Technician), BPE (Broadband Premises Expert), BDS (Broadband Distribution Specialist), BTS (Broadband Transport Specialist), BTCS (Broadband TelecomCenter Specialist), DVEP (Digital Video Engineering Professional) and IPEP (Internet Protocol Engineering Professional).
SCTE also offers certifications from the SCTE Cisco Academy, the only cable-centric academy offering cable versions of CCENT, CCNA, CCNP ROUTE and A+. The SCTE Cisco Academy allows individuals to remain compliant with industry networking standards, while at the same time highlighting commitment to quality and professionalism in the cable telecommunications industry.
Cable technology professionals have earned nearly 19,400 certifications through SCTE. An average of 280 certifications are issued by SCTE every month. More information about SCTE certification examinations is available online.
More information on SCTE courses is available online. Financial assistance for SCTE training and certification programs may be available through the SCTE Foundation.
