Micro-Credentials
A Micro-Credential is a short, certification-style course that focuses on a particular area of study or skill.
It can be stand-alone or stackable as part of a Whitecliffe's IT bachelor's degree.
Micro-Credentials help learners gain knowledge fast, fill gaps in their skillset and improve their employability.
Subject to NZQA approval.
Duration
100 % Online - number of weeks based on selected programme
Qualification
Micro-Credentials are certificates of completion
Micro-Credentials Course Outline
Whitecliffe Certificate of Completion that is NZQA approved.
- Cyber Technician
- Network Defender
- Full Stack Python Development
- Ethical Hacking Practices
- Digital Forensics and Network Defence Essentials
- Full Stack JavaScript Development
Cyber Technician
Cyber Technician (15 credits, Level 6)
- Start Dates: 09 October 2023
- Duration: 9 weeks (150 hours total)
- Open to:
- Adults with IT industry experience seeking to upskill or shift to new roles.
- School leavers with experience in IT may require additional support.
- Campus: 100 % online study
- Fees: $710
What is this Micro-Credential about
The Micro-Credential provides practical skills for efficient, reliable cybersecurity operations in the context of the New Zealand IT industry.
Why study?
The IT industry has a shortage of cyber technicians to carry out the day-to-day operational protection of networks, information, and device privacy. Organisations that use digital technology and prioritise security need skilled cyber technicians.
Learning Experience
- Four Synchronous group webinars support learning, reinforce content, provide industry updates, and prepare learners for the assessment project.
- Six asynchronous modules featuring practice activities, discussions, and reflection to track competency, engagement, and progression.
- iLab activities - a secure online space for practicing and testing security tools against cyber intrusions.
- One summative assessment.
Prerequisites
- Basic IT knowledge, equivalent to level 5 or above, or related work experience.
- Able to perform basic IT tasks such as installing software, using operating systems like Windows or Linux, creating a basic network, and supporting its day-to-day routine functions.
Value to the learner
Able to provide entry-level operations support to protect an organisation’s, network, data, and devices in the NZ IT industry. ·
Value to the market
A Cyber Technician employee will be able to protect the organisations' digital assets and services.
Network Defender
Network Defender – (15 credits, Level 6)
- Start Dates: 09 October 2023
- Duration: 9 weeks (150 hours total)
- Open to:
- Individuals with knowledge of networking and infrastructure tools and techniques
- Campus: 100 % online study
- Fees: $800
What is this Micro-Credential about
The Network Defender's unique selling point is to rapidly upskill staff to develop network protection systems, using analytical, application, and management strategies to counter threats to an organization's network, data, and devices.
Why study?
The IT industry has a shortage of competent cyber security staff to counter emerging digital threats and internal weaknesses to protect data, and personnel as networks evolve. Digital defense skills are valuable for New Zealand and international organizations requiring digital network or presence protection.
Learning Experience
- Four Synchronous group webinars review content, provide industry updates, and prepare learners for the assessment project.
- Six asynchronous modules engage learners in discussions, and reflection to track competency, engagement, and progression.
- iLab activities - a secure online space for practicing and testing security tools against cyber intrusions.
- One summative assessment
Prerequisites
- Basic IT knowledge, equivalent to level 5 or above, or related work experience.
- Able to perform basic IT tasks such as installing software, using operating systems like Windows or Linux, creating a basic network, and supporting its day-to-day routine functions.
Value to the learner
Competent to analyse potential attacks or vulnerabilities within a network and apply security tools and defense strategies as a response. Build and apply management systems to continue network, data, and device defense responses devised by the Defender.
Value to the market
Network Defender employees will be competent to meet the current market shortage by providing protection for organisational networks, data, and devices.
Full Stack Python Development
Full Stack Python Development - (40 credits, Level 6)
- Start Dates: 25 September 2023
- Duration: 16 weeks (400 hours total)
- Open to:
- Adults with IT industry and/or L5 programming experience seeking to upskill or shift to new roles requiring Python.
- Level 5 knowledge and skills through work experience or qualifications, such as programming knowledge, CSS HTML
- Adults seeking skills in Python programming to create front and back-end designs in the context of IT industry Practice.
- Campus: 100 % online study
- Fees: $880
What is this Micro-Credential about
This Micro-Credential enables participants to practice and create authentic web applications using Python programming skills enhancing job readiness, employability, and meeting organizational requirements.
Why study?
There's a shortage of skilled Python programmers competent in front and back-end design to IT industry standards.
Learning Experience
- Seven webinars provide support, reviews, industry updates, and project engagement.
- Six asynchronous modules include learning events, activities, discussions, and reflection tasks to develop full-stack Python developer competencies.
- Participants demonstrate skills in a project to develop a Python program for an authentic or hypothetical organizational requirement.
- Two summative assessments.
Prerequisites
- Level 5 Knowledge and skills through qualifications or industry background with experience in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (demonstrable by being able to create a static website by coding
- Experience with Git (particularly with functions of commit, add, push, pull, and clone) and GitHub.
Value to the learner
Competent native Python programmers will be able to develop and implement Python programing skills to meet an organisation’s back and front-end needs; from beginning to end through the full life cycle.
Value to the market
There is a demand in the industry for programmers with Python language skills that can complete programs such as web applications from beginning to end.
Ethical Hacking Practices
Ethical Hacking Practices – (15 credits, Level 6)
- Start Dates: 25 September 2023, 09 October 2023
- Duration: 9 weeks (150 hours total)
- Open to:
- Adults with IT industry experience related to information security/network security seeking to upskill or shift to new roles.
- School leavers with experience in IT (possible additional guidance may be required for such learners)
- Campus: 100 % online study
- Fees: $820
What is this Micro-Credential about
The unique selling point for this micro-credential is to provide practical skills in hacking intervention, protection, recovery, and prevention for organisational networks, applications, and devices in the context of the New Zealand IT industry.
Why study?
The IT industry has a shortage of IT professional staff with the skills required to intervene, protect or prevent hacking incidences or require hacking services. As organisations continue to rely on digital networks, applications, and devices that are potentially exposed to threats or unintentional disruptions requiring hacking interventions.
Learning Experience
- Four Synchronous group webinars support learning, reinforce content, provide industry updates, and prepare learners for the assessment project.
- Six asynchronous modules featuring practice activities, discussions, and reflection to track competency, engagement, and progression.
- iLab activities - a secure online space for practicing and testing practices and tools for ethical hacking application.
- One summative assessment
Prerequisites
- Basic IT and information security/network security knowledge equivalent to level 5 or above or related work experience.
- Preferably those with Bachelor degree/diploma in IT.
- Able to perform basic IT tasks such as installing software, using operating systems like Windows or Linux, creating a basic network, and supporting its day-to-day routine functions
Value to the learner
Able to provide entry-level operations support to protect an organisation’s, network, applications, and devices by creating preventive hacking measures to reduce cyber threats or resolutions approaches to ethically hack in certain situations for an organisation within the NZ IT industry.
Value to the market
An ethical hacker employee will be able to protect the organisations digital assets and services against cyber threats of a hacking nature and provide internal support by ethically hacking within.
Digital Forensics and Network Defence Essentials
Digital Forensics and Network Defence Essentials – (15 credits, Level 6)
- Start Dates: 25 September 2023, 09 October 2023
- Duration: 9 weeks (150 hours total)
- Open to:
- Individuals with knowledge of networking and infrastructure tools and technique
- Campus: 100 % online study
- Fees: $820
What is this Micro-Credential about
The Network Defender's unique selling point is to rapidly upskill staff to provide digital forensics support in future investigations of possible digital incidents or cycle crimes with the organisations network, devices, and data. These skills can help with possible prosecutions or identification of offenders, and provide evidences to help the IT team to develop improved systems of defence within the network, devices, or data.
Why study?
The IT industry has a shortage of competent staff with these skills of digital forensics to help organisations investigate, recover and enhance network systems from intrusions and or cybercrimes.
Learning Experience
Four Synchronous group webinars review content, provide industry updates, and prepare learners for the assessment project.
Six asynchronous modules engage learners in discussions, and reflection to track competency, engagement, and progression.
- iLab activities - a secure online space for practicing skills and tools for digital forensics and network defence arising from those forensic skills.
- One summative assessment
Prerequisites
- Basic IT and information security/network security knowledge equivalent to level 5 or above or related work experience.
- Preferably those with Bachelor degree/diploma in IT.
- Able to perform basic IT tasks such as installing software, using operating systems like Windows or Linux, creating a basic network, and supporting its day-to-day routine functions
Value to the learner
Competent in investigating incidences and cybercrimes by providing evidence to support defence developments. These skills are valuable for those learners seeking roles in IT management and protection of organisational networks and services.
Value to the market
Those employees with digital forensics skills will be competent to meet the current market shortage of those who can provide network and digital service protection through incident investigation which results can be used for the prosecution corporate and improving network defence.
Full Stack JavaScript Development
Full Stack JavaScript Development – (40credits, Level 6)
- Start Dates: 25 September 2023, 09 October 2023
- Duration: 16 weeks (400 hours total)
- Open to:
- Individuals with knowledge of networking and infrastructure tools and technique
- Campus: 100 % online study
- Fees: $880
What is this Micro-Credential about
This micro-credential enables participants to practice and create authentic web applications using JavaScript programming skillsenhancing job readiness, employability, and meeting organisational requirements.
Why study?
There's a shortage of skilled JavaScript web application programmers competent in front and back-end design to IT industry standards.
Learning Experience
- Seven webinars provide support, reviews, industry updates, and project engagement.
- Seven asynchronous modules include learning events, activities, discussions, and reflection tasks to develop full-stack JavaScript
- Participants demonstrate skills in a project to develop a JavaScript program for an authentic or hypothetical organisational requirement.
- Two summative assessments
Prerequisites
- Level 5 Knowledge and skills through qualifications or industry background with experience in HTML, CSS, and basic JavaScript
language skills (demonstrable by being able to create a static website by coding it), and - Experience with Git (particularly with functions of commit, add, push, pull and clone) and GitHub.
Value to the learner
Competent JavaScript web application programmers who will be able to develop and implement JavaScript programming skills to meet an organisation’s back and front-end needs; from beginning to end through the full life cycle.
Value to the market
There is a demand in the industry for programmers with JavaScript language skills that can complete web applications from beginning to end.
Faculty
Dr Muhammad Azam
Head of School, Information TechnologyMuhammad is an experienced computer engineer and is currently working as the Head of School for Information Technology at Whitecliffe Technology.
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Dr Shahbaz Pervez Chattha
Programme Leader, School of Information Technology (Wellington)Shahbaz is an expert ICT professional with specializing in Communication & Networks, SDN, 5G & Beyond Networks, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, IT Infrastructure planning, designing and management, Information security governance, policy design and implementation.
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Dr Simon Yusuf Enoch
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologySimon holds a PhD in Computer Science (specialising in Cybersecurity) from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
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Dr Joseph Dang
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyJoseph holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from the University of Sciences at Ho Chi Minh City National University in Vietnam and a Master of Engineering in Information and Communication Engineering from Sejong University in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Bilal Ishfaq
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyBilal is a computer scientist and a researcher committed to high quality teaching and implementation of state-of-the-art techniques in research activities.
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Dr Sarmad Soomro
Programme Leader, School of Information Technology (Christchurch)Sarmad has a PhD in Computer Science specialisation in Human-Computer Interaction
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Dr Seyed Hosseini
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologySeyed completed his Master of Information Technology from IIUM Malaysia in 2015 and PhD from Lincoln university New Zealand.
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Jun Han
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyJun is a freelance web developer. Currently, she is working as an IT Instructor in the School of Information and Technology at Whitecliffe College.
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Bevan Thomas
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyBevan holds a BA in Chinese at Massey University and a Diploma of Business Systems from Whitecliffe, formerly known as Computer Power Plus.
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Rob Nairn
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyRob has been an IT professional for 20 years having managed and owned several IT and web development companies.
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Pinal Shah
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyPinal has experience in web design, graphics design, mobile application development and game development. He has obtained his master’s in information technology and held the position of Lecturer in Whitecliffe since June 2021.
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George Tongariro
Lecturer, School of Information TechnologyGeorge has been teaching Information Technology (IT) within the tertiary sector for the last 20 years, He has been working at Whitireia Community Polytechnic, Tai Poutini Polytechnic and now Whitecliffe.
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