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The IEEE Communications Society has launched a web site to provide detailed information on its recently introduced certification program for wireless technologies.
The Wireless Communications Engineering Technologies (WCET) certification program is primarily an aid to employers worldwide who are having increasing difficulty finding personnel with the knowledge and skills required by a particular job.
But it should also be helpful for engineers who are working in other areas but want to move into a career in wireless technology. Students nearing graduation and people with a great deal of knowledge about wireless technology but who lack academic credentials may also benefit from certification.
The first window of opportunity to take the examination will be from Sept. 22 though Oct. 10, 2008, says Celia Desmond, IEEE WCET Program Director. Testing sites will be located worldwide. The deadline for filing an application to take the exam is August 1.
The examination fee is $500 per applicant. IEEE members will receive a $50 discount. AS free Candidate's Handbook is available from the site.
The exam tests knowledge and practical problem-solving skills in real-world situations. It is not job-specific and although it includes questions on IEEE and other wireless communications standards such as WiMAX, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, UWB, it does not include detailed questions on regulations that vary region by region.
Unlike technical certification courses given by corporations such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems, the exam in not product centric.
The web site URL is www.ieee.wcet.org. Information and topics on the site include the areas of expertise covered in the exam (more detail is available on the web site):
- RF engineering, propagation, and antennas.
- Wireless access technologies
- Network and service architecture
- Network management and security
- Facilities infrastructure
- Agreements, standards, policies, and regulations
- Fundamental knowledge
Other resources that are planned for availability through the IEEE WCET web site in the coming weeks include a downloadable version of the Wireless Engineering Body of Knowledge (WEBOK) and an online practice exam.
The WEBOK outlines the scope of wireless technologies and cites numerous wireless communication reference sources.
The online practice exam consists of 75 questions reviewed by IEEE WCET subject matter experts and can help individuals gauge their level of preparedness prior to sitting for the actual exam.
There several reasons for the paucity of talent, says Desmond, including the rapid growth of wireless products and services. There are already two times more wireless connections worldwide than wireline connections and the rate of wireless connections is forecast to grow by 35% over the next five years.
"Wireless technologies also evolve very quickly and it is difficult for people working the the field to keep up with the pace of change," she says. The skill set is also evolving. In the past, for example, the technology could be described as primarily including access and backbone. But today, services are becoming more content centric and this creates a need for a more extended set of skills.
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