Microsoft Certified Trainers – Quality?

I used to be a MCT (I’ve been decertified this year, when they changed their requirements).  The new requirements to be a certified trainer are:

  • Become certified as a MCSD, MCSE, or MCDBA
  • Attend a Microsoft course (any course)
  • Provide proof of instructional skills

And then, each year, you must renew your certification; to do this, you must do a number of things, including attend classes and strive to improve your instructional technique.

My problem with all this is that once you’re certified as a MCT, you can teach any Microsoft class.  In the past, you at least had to pass a test for the particular class you wanted to teach, and attend the class.  Now, once you’re certified, you can teach anything.  Yes, anything.  So I could teach course 981 – Supporting Microsoft SNA Server 4.0, even though I’ve never even started up SNA Server.

So sure, you’re saying, no one would do that.  Fair enough.  But when I go to training, I expect the instructor to be an expert in his/her field.  If it’s clear to me that the instructor only has cursory knowledge of the subject at hand, or only has “book knowledge”, I’m very disappointed.  I think this new certification policy will encourage “professional trainers” to fire up SNA server (for example), spend a week or two learning about it, and start teaching the class.

That’s too bad…I don’t know about you, but I want real-world experience brought into the classroom.

Thoughts?

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