Virginia high school students earn NCS M&S certification

The first State of Virginia high school teacher, JenniferRenne, and 19 of her students passed the National Center for Simulation (NCS)Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Certification Examination in May. Renne,Modeling & Simulation (M&S) instructor at Landstown High School(Landstown HS) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, becomes the 30th teacher in thenation to have earned this credential.

NCS is working with the Virginia Modeling, Analysis andSimulation Center/Old Dominion University (VMASC/ODU) to establish a relationship with Landstown HS so thatM&S companies and government organizations in the Tidewater area can opentheir doors for student tours, summer camps, guest lecturing, mentoring andeventually jobs just as the company is doing in Central Florida.

Achieving this level of competence by high school studentsenables them to qualify for internships and entry-level positions in the industry.To date, there are 352 Florida and 19 Virginia students M&S Certified.Companies who have hired talented students include Simetri, Inc., ColeEngineering, Dignitas Technologies and Cubic Corporation.

Beyond Florida and Virginia, the NCS vision is to bringM&S to high schools in Alabama, Ohio and other areas having high simulationactivity. NCS is in contact with the Alabama Modeling & Simulation Councilwhere they expressed interest in the program. NCS has petitioned Ohio to addM&S to its industry credentials.

As stated, the M&S Certification attests to the factthat the student (normally a senior) has the necessary skill set to enter theworkforce as an intern or in an entry-level position. Hiring interns is acost-effective way to build the workforce. Starting with high school seniors isthe way to integrate qualified students into a company, have them adapt to the companyculture and build a long-term relationship with “staying power”.