RP, Japan tie up on IT certification exams

Filipino information technology students will now be able to avail themselves of an internationally-accepted certification program that will facilitate their application for work in IT firms abroad.

The Philippine and Japanese governments recently agreed on an IT-certification examination known as the Japanese Information Technology Standard Examination (JITSE) of the Philippines.

The IT certification exam which is a result of Philippine-Japan cooperation, is intended to bring up the level of expertise of successful examinees and would give them a big advantage when applying for a job or transferring to another company.

IT practitioners who have gotten JITSE certification are expected to rise more quickly in their respective organizations.

The JITSE-Philippines certification program is a joint undertaking of the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan Information Technology Engineers Examination Center (JITEC), and Central Academy of Information Technology (CAIT) and the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Information Technology Foundation of the Philippines (ITFP), the National Computer Center (NCC), and the Philippine Computer Society (PCS).

According to Maricor Akol, president of the ITFP, JITSE-Philippines will open doors to better employment opportunities and career advancement for IT professionals.

It is also expected to result in more outsourcing contracts for IT companies.

Akol commented that "The fact that JITSE-Philippines is being administered in the Philippines is a clear indication that the Japanese government recognizes the remarkable aptitude and global competitiveness of Filipino IT professionals."