The Information Systems Area has launched a new training and certification program for students in ITIL4 Foundation, a framework intended to help information technology workers meet and align IT with other company needs.

ITIL is an acronym for information technology infrastructure library, and the “library” defines assessments, methods, practices and strategies for IT service managers to use in their efforts to be responsive to other workplace functions and areas.

The new certificate program, which costs $300 and is open to any JSOM student, includes two six-hour sessions followed by the certification exam. Success leads to ITIL 4 Foundation certification.

Higher certifications can be earned at the Specialist, Strategist, Leader and Master levels; however; JSOM does not yet offer training for these.

ITIL4 is the latest iteration of the infrastructure library framework, and according to PeopleCert, a certification delivery partner, ITIL4 Foundation is suitable for individuals who require a basic understanding of the framework and how it may be used to enhance the quality of IT service management within an organization. The certification also applies to IT professionals who work within an organization that has adopted ITIL and who need to be aware of and contribute to the overall service-improvement program.

Besides the dimensions of IT service management and the guiding principles of ITIL, students who take the JSOM certificate course learn:

• A holistic approach to facilitating and co-creating value with and for customers and other stakeholders in the form of products and services, and
• Key concepts from Lean, Agile, DevOps, and why these are important to deliver business value.

Gaurav Shekhar, director of the MS in Business Analytics Flex and Online programs and an assistant professor of instruction in information systems, teaches the certificate program.

“Certifications like these are an indicator of the proficiency in a specific area related to IT,” Shekhar says. “More importantly, certification helps the employability of our students, making them a candidate of choice for the employers.”