NCS offers M&S Certification for high school students

Submitted by Hank Okraski, SES (Ret.), P.E., CMSP
Chair, NCS Education & Workforce Development Committee

In an effort to prepare high school students for internships or entry level positions in the modeling and simulation (M&S) industry, National Center for Simulation (NCS) offers a new certification for high school and technical school students. It is an industry-accredited certification aligned with the State of Florida framework and standards. It is available to all Florida teachers and students in 2016, and will be offered for the first time throughout the nation in 2017. The certification exam is available online through its NCS partner, Certified Internet Web/Certification Partners, Inc.

Florida currently has approximately 5,000 students enrolled in gaming, simulation and animation (GSA) courses throughout the state, but the new M&S curriculum offers a more extensive coverage of simulation to include virtual and constructive simulation, project management, ethics, logistics and entrepreneurship. Paul J. Hagerty High School in Seminole County is implementing the full prototype M&S curriculum.

The certification exam is designed to accommodate students currently taking the existing GSA courses, supplemented with the certification study guide, found on the NCS website. Consequently, there is no need for students to delay becoming certified if they have taken or are taking GSA courses. At least one state, Virginia, is offering an M&S curriculum, and NCS is currently researching if other states have similar programs.

NCS has been working on the framework, standards and certification for the past five years with industry, academia and government, and encourages schools to begin offering simulation programs to prepare students for exciting careers in M&S.

For more information, go to the NCS website or contact Hank Okraski at henry.okraski@gmail.com or George Cheros at gcheros@simulationinformation.com.