Key takeaways:
- Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, hosts annual World Championships where top certified Microsoft and Adobe demonstrate their exceptional skills.
- Certiport is the market leader in equipping learners with demonstrable, in-demand skills in both the classroom and the workplace.
- Certifications help to bridge the skills gap by providing in-demand, verifiable skills crucial in today's tech-driven world.
Have you ever tried to build a pivot table in Excel and given up in frustration? Have you ever attempted to airbrush a background in Adobe Photoshop, and it’s taken all day?
Don’t worry – you’re human! These essential business tools take time and skill to master. Our championship finalists have no such worries. These students and professionals are certified experts in using Microsoft and Adobe products.
Each year, Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, brings together the brightest and the best to compete in the World Championships. Certiport provides learning materials, practice tests, and industry-recognised certification exams across a range of software products from leading names in tech and industry. This unique combination makes Certiport the market leader in equipping learners with demonstrable, in-demand skills, both in the classroom and the workplace.
The value of certification
Employers around the world report a shortage of qualified workers. Certification can help to bridge this skills gap. In an era where AI is moving at breathtaking pace and where there is a huge demand for new talent, with new skills, it has never been more important to prove what you know through verified, certified skills.
Evidence shows that certification gives students, job candidates, and professionals an advantage when applying for roles and advancing their careers. In fact, 91% of hiring managers say they look out for certification when hiring. And IT professionals with certifications have an average salary of 7% more than their non-certified peers.
“They’re looking for reasons to hire candidates” explains Tim Gates, Senior Regional Vice President at Adecco Staffing, “If they see anything that’s relevant to their industry, company, or specific position, it’s definitely going to help make that candidate more attractive.”
Huge congratulations to our winners!
There are world champion titles up for grabs in two specialisms: Adobe Certified Professionals and Microsoft Office Specialist.
The Adobe competition challenges contestants to prove their superior digital design skills using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Congratulations to Izzul Zafran Abd Razak from Malaysia who won the top prize, with runners-up coming from Peru and Vietnam (pictured above).
“Seeing what these finalists are able to create in just eight hours, it’s apparent that they have a deep understanding of digital design concepts and will be able to leverage their Adobe skills in a real-world work scenario.” Craig Bushman, General Manager, Certiport, said.
The Microsoft Office Specialist world championship tests students’ skills on Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. There were six winners (pictured above) across different disciplines hailing from China, Czech Republic, and Thailand.
Bronze medalist Brenda Pedrosa Brito from Brazil explained what the achievement means to her: “The event in California brought together the most incredible people, allowed me to show what I’m capable of, and highlighted how far I can go.”
Craig added “We began the Microsoft Office Specialist competition in 2002. We are proud of what we have achieved, through our partners around the world, in providing young people with a platform such as this to learn, compete, and gain valuable skills that will help them in their future careers.”
Congratulations to the winners and contestants for their hours of practice and dedication. If skills are the currency of the 21st century, these young competitors just banked gold.
Find out more about the work we do at Certiport, and how you can get involved in next year’s championship. (If you can ever get that cell to move where you want it to go...)