Both the IIA/Irish Times/Prosperity and the Digital Marketing Institute have been press releasing and posting about their FETAC Diplomas. As well as emailing me asking to blog them.
After checking with FETAC it turns out these Diplomas are not FETAC approved just some component of them. Anyone that knows FETAC know how strict they are on this use of their logo and name to sell courses like these.
An email from the Digital Marketing Institute stated “FETAC Accredited Diploma in Digital Marketing” so that got me wondering.
This was their site earlier:
And their Twitter:
Since changed to this, though note the website address:
Press releases sent out though with this line too, which some outlets picked up without checking. All news to FETAC.
Update: This was the DMI take on FETAC a week or so ago
So, how come some of the Diploma in Digital Marketing courses that you will see listed claim to be FETAC accredited? They are not! What that training company is doing is saying that the course is accredited by virtue of the fact that the company is accredited to deliver a DIFFERENT FETAC accredited course. For example, the Digital Marketing Institute could apply to FETAC for accreditation for, say, a Microsoft Excel course – there we could proudly announce that we are FETAC accredited.
But perhaps this would be a bit disingenuous, don’t you think?
Then this is from the IIA website:
and from their press release:
Diploma in Digital Marketing to launch in September
An exciting new Diploma in Digital Marketing with FETAC accreditation (level
5 minor award) is about to launch in September.
So yes, keep your eyes open for organisations claiming to do diplomas with FETAC accreditation. I worked with some orgs that worked with FETAC for training courses and they worked their backsides off to get accreditation. Very disappointing then to have this kind of thing happen. I’ve been asked numerous times about my views on these courses too so might as well put it down here: Some of the lecturers on them are very good. Right now there doesn’t appear to be better alternatives out there. And there’s your business opportunity right there.