Adobe Certified Associate Program Launched
<p><strong>Atlanta — June 26</strong><br />Certiport has launched a line of certifications for Adobe software that prepares students with digital communications skills and credentials for entry-level employment. </p><p>Available to secondary and postsecondary institutions around the world, the new certification program will help bolster the digital communications competency of aspiring individuals to meet workforce demands.<br /><br />“The growing popularity of the Adobe platform and the digital media they create is changing the way we connect to the world,” said David Saedi, Certiport president and CEO. “And as employers recognize the value of these tools, they will seek standards and credentials to ensure even their entry-level candidates are equipped appropriately.”<br /><br />The first certification exams released under the Adobe Certified Associate banner, Web Communication using Dreamweaver and Rich Media Communication using Flash, are emblematic of the digital media’s exploding user base. </p><p>According to a Web survey, 30.9 million sites were created in 2006, helping to make the total more than 100 million distinct sites on the Internet. </p><p>In addition, Adobe reports that Flash is the most prolific software platform in the world, with more than 1.5 million developers and an audience of 560 million across the Web.<br /><br />“Certiport is helping Adobe deliver a program that will help close the gap between student preparation and employer expectations,” said Megan Stewart, Adobe director of K-12 education. “By offering Adobe Certified Associate, schools will be able keep up with current employer needs for skilled labor using digital communications.”<br /><br />A recent study indicates digital communications — the ability to create, manage, integrate and communicate information using dynamic, multimedia, video, graphic and Web software — has gained substantial traction in the workplace since the turn of the century. </p><p>Nearly 20 percent of the study’s respondents said they performed video, audio, Web or graphic production tasks once or twice a week, and about another 40 percent stated they executed such tasks at least once every couple of months.<br /><br />According to the leading researcher of the study, users have intensified their use of animation, video and audio digital tasks by 35 percent over the last five years.<br /><br />“The implication is that these digital skills are being used by teachers, administrative assistants, assembly-line workers and others, even though the digital skills were not identified when these individuals were hired,” said John Avakian, statewide director of the California Community Colleges Multimedia & Entertainment Initiative. “These individuals often have very little formal background training to perform digital tasks. If they had formal training, they would be more productive.”</p>
