FDM Alumni’s fast track journey to TechSkills accreditation

Alice Watkins is an FDM Alumni working as a Business Analyst for a global banking client. Alice recently got her Tech Industry Gold (TIG) Certified Practitioner Certification in an impressive six-month period, something that usually takes between 18 – 24 months. We caught up with her to find out about her journey and about the benefits of having the TIG accreditation.

First, an overview of TIG and who can apply for the credential –

What is a Tech Industry Gold accreditation?

The Tech Industry Gold (TIG) Certified Practitioner is an accreditation offered by TechSkills, a Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) for tech accreditation and training in the UK.

Tech Industry Gold Credentials are awarded to those who successfully complete their accredited training programmes. The credentials showcase an individual’s skills and help employers assess their suitability for a role. They are presented in a form that is easy to understand and transferrable across companies and sectors.

Each credential includes a clear description of the skills and learnings an individual needs to earn it. Credentials can be shared on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and incorporated into CVs.

TIG Credentials are issued through Credly, the largest credential- authorising network in the world. A digital badge is awarded to successful consultants that shows their skills when the badge is accessed, for example on a social media site.

What is a Certified Practitioner accreditation? 

The TIG certified Practitioner accreditation allows consultants to demonstrate that they are putting into action all that they have learned in their FDM coaching and their commitment to continuous professional development over the course of their assignment. They are able to choose to pursue either a Specialist or General Practitioner pathway.

FDM is the first skills provider to be offering this accreditation to consultants, giving them an opportunity to stand out from the crowd on their CV and social media postings.

How does it work?

This is a self-managed commitment undertaken by consultants and we suggest it should take between 18-24 months for collation of evidence for their portfolio compilation. All FDM consultants are able to apply for the certification. Retrospective work and experience can be used as far as 12 months before the commencement of their portfolio, as long as they have sufficient information available, can match up to core criteria and learning outcomes and secure the support of any line managers involved in the assignments they reference. Line managers and a peer colleague they have worked with sign off these evidence forms. Work on their portfolio is undertaken on their own computer outside of work hours.

Alice provided her insights to some our questions –

When did you join FDM and what was your coaching like?

I joined FDM in April 2022 and my coaching was focused on Business Analysis and Project Management. I then started my client assignment as a Business Analyst (BA) at the end of June 2022 and was lucky enough to remain on this assignment for 2 years with FDM before transitioning to a permanent position with the client.

Why did you decide to pursue the TIG Practitioner credential?

I decided to pursue the credential as I thought it would really help to enhance my CV. The email from FDM specified that 18 months of experience was required to complete the credential and although this usually means that the portfolio is filled out across the 18-month period, I had just completed 18 months with the client and saw it as the perfect opportunity to fill out the portfolio retrospectively with all of the skills and knowledge I had developed.

What was your specialism?

My specialism was Business Analysis, so I completed both the 15 core skills and the 11 BA skills in the portfolio.

Can you tell us a little bit about your evidence-based portfolio compilation?

Filling out the evidence-based portfolio retrospectively, I read through each of the skills and started by making a bullet point list for each, highlighting examples of when I had used or developed my skills or knowledge in that area. Once I had a list of examples, I went through and chose the three that I could expand the most to provide the best evidence and wrote a short paragraph for each. I then completed the reflection using the guidance provided by the accreditation team, which helped me to structure my writing. I started with the core skills and provided all 15 of these to my line manager and a member of my team, who provided sign off and commentary. I then did the same for the 11 BA skills before submitting the portfolio for review.

Was this largely self-led or do you get any additional support from the FDM team?

Although this was largely self-led and I completed the portfolio without much external input or feedback, the FDM accreditation team was very supportive when I reached out with questions. They met with me and my line manager to explain how the portfolio worked and what was required. My line manager was happy for me to work on the portfolio during work hours, as the client I was on assignment with offered a percentage of time for training and upskilling. Due to the short time frame in which I completed the portfolio, I did also have to spare some of my evenings and a bit of time on weekends to get it finished. The accreditation team provided some guidance on whether or not all of the skills and knowledge points had to be evidenced for each section of the portfolio, which allowed me to focus on the areas that I had the most experience in.

Did you complete the standard TIG credential before pursuing the Practitioner credential?

Through my coaching with FDM before starting my client assignment, I achieved the foundation credential, which allowed me to use a TIG badge on my LinkedIn account and my work email signature. The credential that I have recently received covered both the standard and specialist skills.

You completed the accreditation in just 6 months – what’s the secret to your success?

I managed to complete the accreditation in 6 months due to the wealth of experience I had already obtained in my 18 months with the client. On my assignment, I was given a level of responsibility that afforded me the opportunity to work on the development of three new products for the business, working with software engineers and the product owner. This meant that I had a variety of examples that I could use to complete the evidence-based portfolio. Filling out the portfolio required good time management to balance it against my ongoing work as a BA with the client and meant giving up some of my evening and weekend time to complete it. Engaging my line manager early in the process meant that he had an understanding of what was expected from me and was able to provide sign off and commentary with minimal delay.

What would you say are the benefits of having the Practitioner accreditation?

Having the accreditation will look really good on my CV and will signal to future employers the skills and knowledge that I’ve developed throughout my career to date. The badge can also be added to LinkedIn, again allowing me to demonstrate my employability through a tangible certification.

Can you tell us about your current role and what your day-to-day looks like?

For two years, I have been working as a BA in an enduring feature team alongside software engineers, using Agile methodologies to deliver new products to customers. I have been involved in customer research, mapping out customer journeys and creating systems pictures. I have written Epics and User Stories and run refinement sessions with my team; created presentations and informative packs to develop stakeholder relationships and have conducted various Ways of Working experiments with the Scrum Master. I’ve also been involved in implementation activities such as First Occurrence Validation and the creation and distribution of both internal and external comms.

Any tips for other consultants considering it?

I would recommend this credential to other consultants as it is a really good way to consolidate your learning and receive acknowledgement of all of the hard work you have put in whilst on assignment. Completing the portfolio as you work through your assignment is a manageable task and you could make good progress spending just 20-30 minutes a week keeping a note of good examples of the skills and knowledge outlined in the portfolio. FDM recommends that consultants keep a journal. The interview process is really straightforward, the examiners are very approachable and it’s a great opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve worked on and how you’ve grown and developed since your time with FDM.

Speaking about Alice’s accomplishment, Charlie Crocker, Accreditation Co-Ordinator at FDM said –

Alice has shown great tenacity with completing her Certified Practitioner certification in a total of 8 months before she became a permanent member of the client team. She ably demonstrated that her coaching with FDM had given her a great foundation and the addition of the Certified Practitioner Scheme Accreditation will illustrate that her continued development and learning has cemented her place in a great career in tech.

Over 100 FDM Consultants have signed up to pursue the credential, of whom 32 have started their portfolio. We currently offer the Certified Practitioner accreditation in the following specialisms:

Certified Practitioner specialisms

• Business Analysis
• Business Intelligence
• Software Testing
• Business (PMO)
• Software Development
• Risk Regulation & Compliance
• Robotic Process Automation
• Technical Operations
• Project Management Advanced (for Ex-Forces and Ex-blue light service personnel)
• Solutions Delivery Advanced (for Returners)

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