ITIL V3 Training Scheme - Is it Already Failing?
It has now been two years since the launch of ITIL (R) Version 3, the new version of best practice guidance for service management from the OGC (Office of Government Commerce). For these past two years, the administrators of the new qualifications scheme (APMG), together with examination institutes and training providers, have been busy getting the new ITIL Expert qualification off the ground.
It appears from figures recently published regarding the take-up of ITIL training however, that the new scheme may be already scuppered before it starts. The figures show a high demand for the V3 Foundation course, but almost no demand for the newer capabilities and lifecycle courses.
Perhaps the reason for this situation is the sheer number of courses needed to be taken to qualify as an ITIL Expert. Delegates now need to complete six or seven separate courses to qualify; which translates into between twenty-two to twenty-seven days of training. By contrast, the older V2 scheme leading to the Service Manager certificate only took thirteen days to complete.
The new scheme, with its existing three levels of training - and a future fourth level planned - may be good for examination institutes and training providers, but is it really what the market wants? Well, at present, people seem to be voting with their feet, so to speak, by simply not attending the intermediate courses.
Also, whilst the old V2 qualifications scheme is still running, it makes little sense for people to pursue the new route to the professional qualification when you can also get it through the V2 route simply by doing a bridging course at the end. And this track is not only cheaper, but quicker and more convenient for most people.
So APMG really need to get their thinking-caps on to determine what can be done to rectify the situation. One thing that really needs to be considered soon is the shutting-down of the version 2 scheme. Thats what needs to happen as a matter of some urgency if the new scheme is to be taken more seriously by delegates and training providers alike.
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