CIPS CONNECTIONS 
June, 2011 - Vol 13, Issue 6
Connecting you to news affecting CIPS and the IT Profession
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In This Issue
CIPS and ICTC sign MOU for I-ADVANCE© certification process
CIPS Nova Scotia hosts Town Hall Meeting on Proposed Constitution and By-Law Changes
CIPS to Launch Enhanced Job Board
CIPS forms the Canadian Computing Alliance Board (CCAB)
CIPS attends the Seoul Accord Meeting in Taipei
CIPS Certification Council - Experience Review Committee Call for Volunteers
Canadian Association for Computer Science (CACS/AIC)
CIPS Accreditation Councils Meet in Toronto
Business Technology Management Accreditation Council
Making the Most of the Cloud Computing Opportunity
Get Involved in Building the Guide to the Common Body of Knowledge for Computing and IT (CBOK)
Impact of Immigration on ICT in Canada.
Regional Focus Groups on Impact of Immigration on ICT in Canada
Free Copy of Z. Stachniak's "Inventing the PC: the MCM/70 Story"
NEW CIPS Member Benefit - The National Post
SecTor -...IT Security Education Conference
Interviews/Blogs/Podcasts
CIPS IT Resources
 Cips Events
cips it job postings
CIPS Community
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CIPS and ICTC sign MOU for I-ADVANCE� certification process
CIPS and ICTC sign MOU

Paul D. Swinwood, ICTC President, (left) and Greg Lane, I.S.P., ITCP, CIPS National Director, (right) sign MOU

 On November 23, 2010 CIPS and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) announced a strategic partnership to enhance workforce development and professionalism for the ICT sector across Canada.  

(Click Here to read this previous announcement).

 

As a follow-up to that announcement on June 10, 2011 CIPS and the ICTC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to partner on the I-Advance certification process.

 

The I-ADVANCE� program will enable ICT employers to validate and recognize the technical, business and interpersonal competencies that complement the professional experience of their ICT employees. Also, I-ADVANCE� will aim to facilitate the design of a career ladder for advancement and succession of the ICT workforce in their respective areas of interest.

 

The MOU calls for both parties to work together in setting up a governing body to develop strategic direction policies and to oversee the management and implementation of the I-ADVANCE� program in Canada.   

 

    

CIPS Nova Scotia hosts Town Hall Meeting on Proposed Constitution and By-Law Changes

 Cips Logo

On June 21, 2011 CIPS Nova Scotia hosted the first Provincial town hall meeting on the proposed CIPS National Constitution and By-Law changes.   Through the town hall meeting CIPS members in Nova Scotia were able to learn firsthand the implications of the proposed changes, and to provide their input.  Ken Chapman, FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP   chair of the National Constitution Committee (NCC) gave a presentation highlighting the reasons for bringing forward the changes, as well as the implications of many of the proposed changes. Members of the National Constitution Committee (NCC) were also on hand to assist in answering questions.  Questions covered included such topics as voting rights, quorum, the proposed funding model and the process for both member and government approval of the proposed changes.

 

The NCC hopes that the CIPS Nova Scotia town hall meeting will be the first of a series of town hall meetings held across the country providing all members with the opportunity to participate in discussions and to provide their input on the proposed constitution and by-law changes.  Member input received will be considered by the NCC and the CCITP in preparing the final changes for presentation to the membership in a National referendum vote this fall. 

 

The proposed Constitution and By-Law changes have been posted on the National website at:  http://www.cips.ca/Governance

 

If you have any questions about the new CIPS governance model, please check the Governance: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. You can also contact any of the National Constitution Committee members: Ken Chapman, FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP, Jon Nightingale I.S.P., ITCP, Richard Thompson, FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP, or Mary Jean Kucerak,CAE, by e-mail at: [email protected]

 

FAQ includes:

www.cips.ca/newgovernancefaq

 

    

CIPS to Launch Enhanced Job Board

CIPS is pleased to announce that the CCITP (CIPS' governing board) has approved the development of a new and improved CIPS Job Board, set to launch later this summer. This will be a full featured Job Board, using the services of Job Target, who runs job boards for other high profile professional societies like the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery).

 

This enhanced job board will be integrated with CIPS' membership system, allowing members to login to the job board using their CIPS membership directory username and password. There will therefore no longer be the need for a separate Job Board login. Non-members will also now be able to login to post jobs and provide payment for job postings directly through the Job Board.

 

This new job board will contain new features and services that both employers and job seekers will be able to take advantage of. One of these new services in particular is a Resume Bank, which will allow job seekers to post their resumes and have employers find and connect with them (upon the job seekers approval). CIPS is excited about this new Job Board and the benefits that it will provide to its members.

    

CIPS forms the Canadian Computing Alliance Board (CCAB)

Cips LogoSince its founding in 1958, CIPS historically has had a good relationship with the academic community. CIPS as a whole has enabled a wide range of activities related to the academic community over the years, such as those of the special interest groups and program accreditation. However, CIPS has not had a separate centralized and dedicated unit specifically to provide a wide range of relevant services, activities and resources to the post-secondary academic community. Under the leadership and direction of Dr. Peter King, FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP, CIPS has now formed the Canadian Computing Alliance Board (CCAB) to ensure that in the future CIPS has a coherent strategy for:

  • supporting a cohesive community of academics and professionals with a shared commitment to advancing the discipline and profession of IT/computing.
  • ensuring that CIPS has a strategy for assisting in the advancement of computing as an academic discipline.
  • offering a platform for exchange of information and experiences in the academic milieu.
  • nurturing inventiveness and innovation in IT/computing.
  •  engaging with the broad community and promote informed debate about the roles IT/computing play in society at large.

 

The CCAB will provide advice to CIPS on academic matters. 

 

[Click Here to Read More]

 

CIPS attends the Seoul Accord Meeting in Taipei 

CIPS attends the Seoul Accord Meeting in Taipei

The Seoul Accord is a multi-lateral mutual recognition agreement among agencies responsible for accreditation or recognition of undergraduate computing and IT related programs. The Accord was formed in December 2008 and includes signatories from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. CIPS is the Canadian signatory to the Accord.

 

The eight signatories of the Seoul Accord have joined together for the primary purpose of contributing to the improvement of computing education worldwide through the mutual recognition of accredited academic computing programs that prepare graduates for professional practice. The Seoul Accord hopes to contribute to the acceptance of international academic standards that prepare graduates for professional practice by establishing desired attributes for graduates of computing programs and by sharing best practices for computing education.

 

[Click Here to Read More]

  

CIPS Certification Council - Experience Review Committee Call for Volunteers

Interested in actively supporting your Professional Society? Looking for a new challenge? The CIPS Certification Council, the body responsible for managing the professional certification application policies and procedures, is looking for certified members to serve on the Experience Review Committee. Cips Logo

 

What do Experience Review Committee Members do?

  • Review and assess experience details of certified applications;
  • Prepare detailed findings on the assessment;
  • Report the findings to the Office of the Registrar
  • Provide clarification and advice to the Certification Council on marginal or rejected applications;
  • Provide advice to the Office of the Registrar on pre-assessments;


The Experience Review Committee is comprised of not less than 3 certified members. Committee members serve for a three year term, renewable at the discretion of the Council.  Before starting the review of applications, members will (virtually) attend an orientation session to get familiarized with the review processes and procedures. The monthly time commitment is around one (1) hour.

 

Offering your expertise to ensure the quality of the next generation of your profession is one of the most important contributions you can make.

 

The Certification Council invites you to submit your letter of interest and resum� for consideration to join the Committee by July 15, 2011. Please send your letter and resume to Gina van Dalen, Manager Professional Standards, at [email protected]  All nominations to the Experience Review Committee are reviewed and approved by the Certification Council.

 

Canadian Association for Computer Science (CACS/AIC)
lethbridge
Dr. Tim Lethbridge, I.S.P., ITCP

Dr. Tim Lethbridge, I.S.P., ITCP, Chair of the CIPS Computer Science Accreditation Council (CSAC) attended the June 20 and 21, 2011 Canadian Association for Computer Science (CACS/AIC) meeting.  Chaired by Dr. Ken Barker, Dean of Science at the University of Calgary, CACS/AIC consists of the Department Chairs of most Canadian faculties or departments of Computer Science.  Dr. Lethbridge presented the details of the Canadian Computing Alliance Board (CCAB) and its activities which received good reception and a number of potential joint initiatives will be further explored. The CACS/AIC forum also creates a good opportunity to promote CIPS accreditation and a number of universities have expressed interest in exploring accreditation of their programs.

 

   

CIPS Accreditation Councils Meet in Toronto
Dr. Gayle Yaverbaum
Dr. Gayle Yaverbaum

The CIPS Computer Science Accreditation Council (CSAC) and the Information Systems and Technology Accreditation Council (ISTAC) met in Toronto in June resulting in two very productive days.  In addition to the re-accreditation of various computing and IT-related programs, CSAC also approved changes to its accreditation criteria to align them with the Seoul Accord Graduate Attribute Outcomes and to global accreditation efforts that increasingly have moved towards an outcome based assessment approach. CIPS would like to recognize Dr. Tim Lethbridge, I.S.P., ITCP and Dr. Gayle Yaverbaum, Vice President of the Computer Science Accreditation Board (the lead society within the US based Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for accreditation of programs in computer science, information systems, software engineering, and information technology) for their contributions in developing the new criteria.

 

Under the direction of Dr. Peter King, FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP, both Councils also have embarked on a Quality Assurance and Enhancement process, which will ensure the ongoing monitoring and improving of the accreditation program.

   

Business Technology Management Accreditation Council (BTMAC)

CIPS has signed an agreement with the Canadian Council for Tomorrow's ICT Skills (CCICT) to manage the Business Technology Management (BTM) program accreditation. BTM is an undergraduate professional program that was introduced in February 2009 that focuses on producing graduates who have the capability profile that has become the new norm for employers and includes technical and soft skills (business knowledge, leadership, business analysis, and project management) and includes a key component that manages the transition from graduation to employment.  The program was developed in partnership with CCICT's 30+ major employers and academics from business and computing disciplines and is a structured around learning outcomes for a holistic program.

   

Making the Most of the Cloud Computing Opportunity 

microsoft Cloud June 2011 banner 

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MVA guides you through real-life deployment scenarios and the latest cloud computing technologies and tools. By selecting the training modules that match your needs, you can use valuable new skills that help take your career to the next level.

 

   
Get Involved in Building the Guide to the Common Body of Knowledge for Computing and IT (CBOK)

cbok survey

CIPS Members have an opportunity to become actively involved in the development of the CBOK by completing an online survey. Click here for the survey

The survey lists each topic in the draft CBOK and it requires you to document your opinion about a) the importance of the topic to computing/IT professionals, and b) the validity of some of the references describing the topic. The survey should take about 45 minutes to complete.

There will be a prize draw from among the participants who choose to leave their name and email address at the end of the survey. The prizes are eight $50 Futureshop gift certificates to be drawn from among the first 500 survey respondents who leave their email address, or from those who respond by July 15, 2011 (whichever comes first).  

Impact of Immigration on ICT in Canada

(via ICTCICTC predicts acute skills shortages in the ICT sector over the next five years, as Canadian employers will need to hire approximately 106, 335 ICT workers over this period. 

[Outlook for Human Resources in the ICT Labour Market, 2011-2016]. 

Internationally educated professionals (IEPs) play a vital role in Canada's economy, since Canada has to maintain and, ideally, grow enrolment in ICT-related post-secondary programs beyond current levels to fill the full projected skills and labour shortfall. Labour market studies also tell us that...

  • 53.2% of immigrants arriving between 2001 and 2006 posses at least one university degree, including 23.9% with an advanced degree beyond the Bachelor's level.  
  • In 2008, 67.8% of employed university-educated immigrants who landed in Canada within the previous five years worked in occupations that require no more than a college education or apprenticeship, compared to 55% of established immigrants who have been in Canada for ten or more years and 40% of Canadian-born workers.  
  • The proportion of immigrant ICT professionals who have been in Canada for ten years or less living below the low income cut-off level ($13,400 for an individual or $26,800 for a family of four, 2003 constant dollars) increased from 14.5% in 1992 to 25.9% in 2004.

By 2015, if 50% of Canada's ICT workforce is expected to come from abroad, what must Canadian employers understand to recognize and integrate IEPs as part of Canada's valuable skilled labour force?

[Click Here to Read More]

Voice your input on the CIPS Facebook and LinkedIn Groups!  

Regional Focus Groups on Impact of Immigration on ICT in Canada

(via ICTCComplimentary refreshments will be provided. Parking and reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

RSVP: [email protected] or call: 613.237.8551 ext. 152 to attend the focus group.

 

Do you work in research and development, science, health, management, education, human resources, marketing, ICT or other? Do you have at least five (5) years of experience in any of these fields? If so, ICTC is particularly interested in your views and insights.

 

ICTC invites you to share your expertise, experience and perspective on attraction, integration, and retention of Immigrants in the Canadian ICT workforce, by helping us:

  • Validate the results of preliminary research we've conducted on the Situational Analysis of the Impact of Immigration on ICT in Canada
  • Improve the potential of the ICT labour force by developing strategies that better integrate internationally educated professionals
  • Contribute to the development of a more innovative, prosperous and globally competitive ICT workforce
  • Identify key issues for further research and deliberation
  • Identify key strategies for better utilizing the skills and talents of recent immigrants to Canada

Free Copy of Z. Stachniak's "Inventing the PC: the MCM/70 Story"

stachniak_pcZ. Stachniak's "Inventing the PC: the MCM/70 Story" (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2011, http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=2643) details the invention and design of the MCM/70 computer, possibly the world's earliest PC manufactured by a Toronto-based electronics company Micro Computer Machines. The computer was invented in the early 1970s by a former CIPS president Mers Kutt and its prototype publicly demonstrated in May of 1973. By the end of 1975, when the ideas of affordable computing began to crystallize into the personal computing paradigm, the MCM/70 computers were already espoused by Chevron Oil Research Company, Firestone, Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, and the United States Army, to name just a few of the installations in North America.

Providing comprehensive historical background and rich photographic documentation, "Inventing the PC" offers an insider's view of events on the front lines of pioneering work on personal computers. It tells the story of a Canadian company on the cutting-edge of the information age.

 

Zbigniew Stachniak has graciously offered to provide a free copy of his book to the first two CIPS member that send an email to [email protected] 

   

NEW CIPS Member Benefit - The National Post

 National Post

Subscribe and Save!  A six month subscription to the National Post for only $14.00/month or $14.49/month for a Print and Electronic version (up to 75% off regular retail rates). These rates apply to a 6 month new subscription only. Have your news how and when you like it! 

 

As an added bonus, for every subscription activated, you'll receive Two free Cineplex Movie Passes!

 

Please click on the following link to begin http://www.Nationalpost.com/memberbenefits     

 

[Click Here to Read More]

  

SecTor - IT Security Education Conference

 

SecTor is Canada's premier IT Security Education Conference.  An annual event where IT professionals from throughout Canada can learn from and network with the world's most innovative, intellectual, exciting and entertaining security professionals. 

 

SecTor is IT Security Training at its best - plan to join us October 17-19, 2011 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Use discount code 'IND-CIPS-2011' and save 10% off registration! Visit http://www.sector.ca today. 

  

Interviews, Blogs & Podcasts
by Stephen Ibaraki FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP/IP3P
 Stephen Ibaraki
          Hear the thoughts and commentary from
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     Now also on iTunes! - Click Here

 

  

 

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