Certifications Validate Skills Why do students need certifications? Certifications validate skills. CTE students in Arkansas have many opportunities to validate workplace skills by earning industry-recognized credentials such as Microsoft Office Specialist certifications. MS Office is the most widely used tool for communicating and sharing information in offices across the globe. Reports indicate that nearly all professionals have at least a basic understanding of Microsoft Office, and 68% of mid-range jobs now require at least a general understanding of Microsoft Office applications. Common requirements in recent job postings are proficiency in MS Word and Excel. Arkansas CTE Business and Marketing students are taking advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate their computer skills! Our state goal for 2019-2020 is that 15,000 Microsoft certifications will be earned by Arkansas CTE students. We ended the 2018-2019 school year with 14,389 certifications earned, and we are well on our way to exceeding our 15,000 goal this year! Mrs. Alice Cooper, of Jasper High School says “We have had 31 MOS certifications and 26 Financial Literacy W!se certifications! I am blessed and happy!!� All that before Thanksgiving! Way to go Jasper High School!
First quarter state statistics show a steady increase in certifications year over year since 2012.
