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Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: Nortel created the NTSA to make university networking curricula and the emerging IT workforce more effective. By offering free courseware that is more in-depth, Nortel can help universities take their networking curricula to the next level. 2. Who can participate and what are the requirements? Answer: Any post-secondary school, college or university that wishes to offer IT training can participate in the NTSA program. However, certain requirements do apply. For our initial VoIP courseware offering, we require schools to have an existing curriculum that covers basic networking and IP technology. Otherwise, the only requirement is that a simple licensing agreement be signed by the appropriate school representative. 3. Is Nortel Certification part of the program? Answer: The Nortel Certification program is professionally developed, and exams are proctored in accordance with industry standards. Therefore, certification is recognized universally within the industry as a reliable measure of competence within the IT sector. We understand the importance of academic achievement when a student seeks employment. We also know the advantage that industry-recognized certification lends to prospective employees during recruitment. Schools participating in the NTSA will be offered the opportunity to set up in-house Nortel/Prometric testing facilities, where certification exams may be offered to students at very low cost. 4. What is Nortel offering to schools today? Answer: At this time, Nortel is offering participating schools learning materials, lab equipment and professional certification in Voice over IP (VoIP) technology. The learning materials, or courseware, consist of 80-100 hours of theory work in the form of downloadable files. Participating schools also have the option to purchase a discounted VoIP solution bundle so that they can create their own lab. In addition, schools can set up certification exam testing centers in their own classrooms. As the NTSA evolves beyond VoIP, new curriculums will be added. 5. Is the courseware adaptable? Answer: Yes, the courseware is designed to be a stand-alone course or be adapted to blend with an existing curriculum. 6. Do the learning materials offer the most up-to-date technology information? Answer: Yes. As an industry leader, Nortel is at the forefront of the development and deployment of VoIP technology. Our learning materials provide a comprehensive review of VoIP. Our lab exercises are designed to work with the discounted solution bundle that is offered to participating schools. It's important to note that learning materials will be updated each time the equipment is upgraded. 7. Are the learning materials relevant? Answer: Yes, our courseware is developed by subject matter experts from both the R&D and commercial sector. This ensures that the materials we produce are relevant to today's IT workplace. 8. What will participation in the program cost? Answer: There is no cost to participating schools for the learning materials. Schools may wish to take advantage of the specially priced lab equipment to create their own lab, but this is not mandatory. Schools may also wish to offer students the opportunity to become professionally certified by taking the Nortel Professional Certification Exams. A small charge per exam attempt is made to the school for this service. 9. Can the materials be used for 'Distance Learning or eLearning'? Answer: Yes. We entrust participating schools to deliver the courseware in whatever manner suits their needs. In addition, we have designed our lab equipment to be an effective teaching aid, even if it is remotely accessed. 10. What type of support is available for participating schools? Answer: If you have questions about the courseware, the Internet-Based Testing (IBT) system or the lab exercises, please contact us. We will assign a subject matter expert to contact you and address your questions. As a participating school that has elected to purchase lab equipment, you will receive standard warranties on the equipment itself, plus any support agreement for the equipment you have opted for with the Channel Partner from whom it was purchased. Please contact them in accordance with their terms and conditions if there appears to be problems with the lab equipment itself. 11. What qualifications are needed to teach the course? Answer: Those employed by a participating school must become Nortel certified to teach NTSA materials. These exams may be taken at any Prometric Center or in the classroom if the school chooses to establish a Nortel/Prometric testing center. 12. How long does the program take to set up? Answer: Once we have received your signed license agreement, we will send login details to you via email. After you receive your login ID via email, you will have access to the learning materials and an Internet-based testing setup guide. If you wish to order equipment through a Nortel authorized channel partner, your purchase will be subject to the channel partner's delivery times. 13. How do I participate? Answer: Go to the NTSA index page. You will find all of the information you need about the program. Follow the instructions to download and print the License Agreement. You will need to follow the instructions, and then sign and return the agreement to us. After we have received your signed License Agreement, we will send you login details, so that you can download the learning materials. At this point, you will be given the opportunity to purchase the discounted lab equipment that is available to participating schools. Full instructions for ordering the lab equipment are available on the site. Schools wishing to offer Nortel Certification Testing from the classroom will also be able to download instructions on how to register as a testing center. 14. Who do I contact for more information? Answer: If you have any questions, please contact us. |
Download the NTSA Brief
Download the NTSA brief to learn more about the program. |
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