Before You Work for NTI › BICSI at NTI

BICSI certification and employer training

What a former NTI technician understands about NTI's planned in-house BICSI course, and the questions to ask before you sit any employer's BICSI cabling class.

What I understand about NTI's plan

This was announced to my entire training class by Michael Raleigh, NTI's Director of Training and Quality Control: the company plans to build a BICSI training facility and put its new hires through an in-house cabling course to get as many employees BICSI-certified as it can, with NTI management as the instructors. I also understand the plan is to make it easier to get on the BICSI path at NTI than anywhere else, and I know of no other shop with the same setup. I have not seen the facility or the course, so this is what we were told, not a description of a finished program.

Why a technician should care

A BICSI credential on a resume follows you to every job. That makes it worth knowing exactly how you earn one, who is teaching you, and what the credential is actually based on. A class and a credential are not the same thing, and BICSI sets its own requirements.

Questions to ask before you sign up for any employer's BICSI course

1. Check BICSI's own requirements for the credential at bicsi.org.
2. Ask who the instructor is and what their own credentials and field experience are.
3. Ask how many hours the course is and how much is hands-on cabling.
4. Ask what happens if you do not pass, and who pays for retakes.
5. Ask whether you owe the employer money or time if you leave after the training.
6. Get every answer in writing.

If you have been through an employer's BICSI course, at NTI or anywhere else, share your experience. See also the technician checklist and my story.