Competency, Certificates and Cynicism

I went to a training recently where the trainer said don’t leave yet because he has a certificate for us. I was a bit surprised because it was a free course done by volunteers, which won’t normally hand out certificates. Normally it’s the one done by big companies where they charge you big money, that you will get certificates (and most of the time, that’s all you get as the so-called training didn’t provide much useful advice).

When I was in primary school, getting certificates was the main reason in doing any activity. You’re encouraged to complete/compete/join an activity, collect the certificates to build your portfolio, so that you can get into a better (high)school. However when I was in high school, I learned that people actually buy the blank certificates and print out the names of the events, before having someone signing it and then adding your name on it.

This revelation caused me to collude with my friends and to do a few co-curricular activities and ‘manufacture’ these certificates. Make no mistake, the events did happen and the effort was there, it’s just that we created a generous amount of events compared to what would normally occur in a year. I think I slowed down after that but I still felt after that that certificates meant less to me.

Later when I started working, I see a similar but slightly different practice, where people gather certificates to buff their CVs, and companies do so-called team building or other made up trainings and pitch this to companies. Like my boss used to say, “Semua ni yo-yo-o ja!” – “These are all a charade!”

Now in the UK, after joining various trainings, webinars and events, I can say my perspective has changed a bit. The certificates can still be used to proof attendance or exposure, but the training or event itself can still be useful, not just some BS show. So in regard to the training that I went recently, I must say it was a very informative session that gives you a certificate, increases my competency and free too. Unbelievable, right?

Thank you for reading.