Upskill SB: Frequently Asked Questions

We cannot reimburse any training that has been done or if you purchased an exam prior to joining the program. We would encourage you to find another certification or credential to choose from.

Applications are open two times throughout the year for the spring, and fall applications for summer and winter cohorts. The summer cohort application is open until mid June. You will hear back from us at most five business days after submitting your application, or we will send you a message if the application has closed by then.

Yes, Upskill SB can support more than one certifications so long as they are completed within four months. If the certifications requires two or more exams in order to pass, Upskill SB can reimburse both.

We would encourage candidates to seek certifications of which they have not yet earned. Renewing a certification does not disqualify a candidate, but we would consider additional applications.

Certificate: A result of an educational process for newcomers and experienced professionals that is set through an academic process.

Certification: An industry-standard process for workers with at least some experience to indicate mastery. Some certifications do not require or have courses.

License: A government-run process in order to practice a profession.

Badge: An educational process for newcomers usually after completing a single module for a certificate. The timeframe for completing a badge is much shorter compared to the other credentials. Badges are a type of microcredential.

All these types of credentials are very useful for resume-building. Sometimes, credentials can be taken simultaneously, e.g. someone can go through training and earn a certificate, and, later, earn a certification by taking an exam based on the training.

Each certification is on a hierarchy based on previous skill usually comprising of three/four tiers:

Foundational: No prior experience within this area. It is useful for employees looking to pivot or to have knowledge in an adjacent field.

Associate: Some experience within this area (6-12 months) and for someone who needs to commit to this kind of career.

Professional: Once someone earns an associate certification, this is a gold standard for practitioners in the career area. They usually have a handful of years of experience. Certified professionals undergo annual renewal.

Expert: High-level certification given to experts with many years of industry experience requiring hundreds of contact hours.

Certifications are issued by accredited prominent industry organizations or by professional certifications that will be accepted by most employers in a given field. Most employers like to a hire a certified worker over a non-certified worker because they know a certified worker has proof of the requisite knowledge in a knowledge field. For example, a PMP can make $20,000 more than a non-PMP holding Project Manager on average (Project Management Institute).

You will have the option of letting us know your technical needs on the application form under the Program Resources section. If you are taking a certification exam or working through a certificate course, a working computer with a mic and webcam is necessary, and resources Upskill SB can provide. If you are taking a technical course with software or hardware needs, double check with the certification’s website, and we can reimburse software needs e.g. AWS cloud subscription.

Upskill SB will not provide technology for SJC residents who are taking Google Cloud certifications.

Upskill SB can provide study and exam-taking space in the Technology Resource Center.

Here is an article about how to train for a certification in general.

If you are earning a certificate, there should already be a self-learning, virtual or in-person class that you will be required tot take in order to earn that credential.

You can typically pick and choose study/training resources for certifications:

• Instructor-led training: A structured classroom setting in a remote setting or at a classroom. Upskill SB will not provide classes, but will find an in-person or remote setting that works best for you.
  • There are many types of instructor-led training such as a college classroom, guided online learning, or training centers ranging from a few hours of practice per week to 3 to 5 days of intensive practice.
• Self-study training: Not everyone needs live training. You may prefer going at your own pace or is self-motivated. Sometimes this fits well if you have busy schedules.
  • eLearning: an online self-paced course
  • Exam Prep: Right before an exam, take a practice exam to identify strengths and weaknesses to better prepare for the real exam.
  • Books: There are certified books or ebooks you can learn from!

CompTIA also has a quiz to assess what type of learner you are!

Assess how many hours a week you can dedicate to studying/ training for cert exams. Multiply that number by 16, and you will get how many total hours you will spend total on studying/training. Each certification will have the estimated number of hours of completing the course, which you can compare with your total hours.

Make sure you are able to clear your schedule on certain evenings or weekends for instruction if you are doing instructor-led training, and that you can complete it within four months. Sometimes you will need to accommodate a few hours between courses for homework or lab work in addition to commute times if you are going to an in-person site.

If you are unable to train during evenings or weekends at a consistent time, self-study resources such as self-paced online courses can a more flexible option.

Studying for a certification or any other credential while employed is no easy task. In the end, passing that exam will lead to better career opportunities or raises at work.

No, Upskill SB covers expenses for certifications, related training, and micro-credentials.This program does not cover graduate study expenses.

If there is no exam cost explicitly laid out, Upskill SB will reimburse the first $600 and 50% of the remaining cost.

Once you have been accepted to the program assuming you have a certification choice and training option lined up, you will have four months to complete training and another month to take an exam and additional exams/retakes if necessary.

This program is funded by a $200,000 American Rescue Plan (ARP) grant given towards workforce development.

Fill out this form to suggest certifications for your employees and we will get in contact with you: Form Link.