Meet Phoebe: A Cautionary Tale About Training and Certification

Meet Phoebe: A Cautionary Tale About Certification, Safety, and a $100 million fine

Meet Phoebe, Our Unlikely Star

So, you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade from your old LMS, or maybe you’re moving to a fresh system like Totara. The first hurdle? Data. Most contracts will promise that you’ll “receive the data files.” Sounds easy enough – until you open them and realize you’re not a database wizard. No worries, this is where data mapping comes in handy, acting as your migration compass. Think of it as the Rosetta Stone, translating your old system’s cryptic table names and logic into something that fits into the new one.

Phoebe’s an endearing dog with a few quirks. She’s mastered sofa chewing and barking at postmen and, oddly enough, has a strange inclination to pursue professional certificates. While we adore her, one thing is clear: we wouldn’t trust her with decisions about health, safety, or finances. That’s a job for qualified humans.

Here’s the problem: Phoebe has over 100 professional certificates. She can drive a forklift truck, work at heights, and can even serve you a beer in Texas. Sadly, most online certifications don’t check IDs. Most don’t monitor participation. Most don’t detect the use of AI plugins that can answer assessment questions. 

What happens if you get it wrong?

Let’s illustrate with two cases

Valor Securities in New York failed to check if workers were undergoing construction safety training. Sadly, one worker fell to their death. So far, 24 people have been charged with a variety of offence,s including corruption.

Ernst & Young were fined $100 million after failing to check if their audit professionals were completing their exams. Many were found to be cheating on their exams or never actually taking them. Imagine the reputational damage.

Are you vulnerable? 

Proctoring is key

What can we learn from Phoebe and the above cases? 

First, you need a robust certification process. A high-quality certification system ensures candidates demonstrate real expertise, not just the ability to memorise information.

Second, you need to prove that people have taken courses and passed their certificates. No fakes. You need reliable proctoring to help protect your workers and avoid the consequences.

Invest in Real Expertise

At The Learning Syndicate, we believe in meaningful training and certification. It’s not about ticking boxes but fostering genuine expertise. When the right people are empowered, everyone’s well-being improves – humans and dogs alike!

So, let Phoebe stick to her antics and leave the critical decisions to properly trained professionals. By investing in reliable certification systems, we protect the integrity of essential roles and build trust in the people who hold them.

Want to Know More

Secure Your Training Certifications with Confidence – Download Our eBook Today!

Discover how to protect your organization from the risks of unverified certifications and compromised training programs. Our eBook explores real-world examples, highlights critical vulnerabilities, and provides innovative solutions for ensuring assessment integrity.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • Why unverified certifications pose significant safety and financial risks.
  • The true cost of inadequate monitoring and verification in training.
  • How technology-powered, human-perfected proctoring solutions can safeguard your certification processes.

Take the first step towards safeguarding your organization. Download the eBook now and explore how our Totara Proctoring Solution can help you ensure compliance, boost learner engagement, and enhance training integrity.