News

Microsoft Betas Learning Consultant Certification for MCTs

The new title will recognize “the practice” of designing and delivering custom learning solutions for organizations.

Microsoft released details Tuesday on its new Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant (MCLC) certification at TechEd 2005 Europe in Amsterdam. Currently in beta, it will be open to all Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) beginning Oct. 1.

The MCLC expands on the general training credential of the MCT but focuses on the training professional’s ability to “design, develop and deliver consultative learning solutions based on Microsoft technologies and products,” said Ken Rosen, senior marketing manager of Microsoft’s MCT program. “Target customers are enterprise organizations who want tailored, rather than off-the-shelf solutions, to address their business needs.”

Though the MCLC is based on the MCT, it’s not a “master” or “expert” version of the trainer certification, according to Rosen. “MCLC indicates ‘additional’ learning-related expertise beyond the classroom, not stronger classroom training expertise.”

To obtain the expanded Microsoft credential, candidates must be, first of all, active MCTs. They must be able to demonstrate their experience in providing learning solutions for customers by submitting a case study, which is reviewed and approved by a regional review board of practicing learning consultants, managers of learning consultants or industry experts. Also required are a career advancement certification, such as one of Microsoft’s other IT certifications, and a customer ROI attestation letter in which a customer verifies the description of the project in the case study, the role played by the candidate and the results achieved by the solution.

Unlike the MCT, the MCLC has no minimum delivery requirement. “Because learning consultants spend much of their time out of the classroom—and because particularly intense projects may take them completely out of the classroom for the duration of the project—the minimum delivery requirement is waived for MCLCs regardless of tenure,” Rosen said. “In other words, the minimum ‘delivery’ requirement is replaced by a minimum ‘practice’ requirement.”

MCTs with less than five years of tenure in the program are required to deliver training using official Microsoft Learning products to a minimum of 15 students per year.

MCLCs must renew their titles yearly and are required to submit an additional case study every two years. No additional subscription fees other than those for the MCT are required for 2005-2006. Applications for new MCLCs will be accepted quarterly in October, January, April and July.

Microsoft plans to disclose more details about the MCLC at its Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Minneapolis later this week.

About the Author

Dan Hong is the associate Web editor of MCPmag.com, CertCities.com, TCPmag.com, Redmondmag.com and RCPmag.com.

Featured

  • Microsoft Appoints Althoff as New CEO for Commercial Business

    Microsoft CEO and chairman Satya Nadella on Wednesday announced the promotion of Judson Althoff to CEO of the company's commercial business, presenting the move as a response to the dramatic industrywide shifts caused by AI.

  • Broadcom Revamps VMware Partner Program Again

    Broadcom recently announced a significant update regarding its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program, coinciding with the release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, a key component in Broadcom’s private cloud strategy.

  • Closeup of the new Copilot keyboard key

    Microsoft Updates Copilot To Add Context-Sensitive Agents to Teams, SharePoint

    Microsoft has rolled out a new public preview for collaborative "always on" agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing enhanced, context-aware tools into Teams channels, meetings, SharePoint sites, Planner workstreams and Viva Engage communities.

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.