2017 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) Adult Training and Education Survey (ATES) Preparation for Certifications and Licenses Cognitive Interviews and Focus Groups

Attachment 2

NHES 2017 ATES Cognitive Interviews Recruitment Screener

Hello. My name is [XXXXXX] and I work for American Institutes for Research. The U.S. Department of Education is conducting a brief but important study about adults’ education and work credentials. American Institutes for Research (AIR) is assisting with the research. Your participation is voluntary, and you will receive no sales pitch or follow-up calls based on your participation.

We are looking for adults to help us understand how they interpret survey questions about adults’ education and work credentials. The objective of the current study is to make sure the survey materials are clear and easy to understand, and we need your help to do that. The information gained from the study will be used to revise the survey. I’d like to ask you a few questions to see if you qualify for the study (takes about 5 minutes).

The next few questions are for classification purposes only.

1. What is your name? (write in)

________________________________________________

2. What is your phone number? (write in)

_________________________________________________

3. What is your email address? (write in)

_________________________________________________

[Interviewer circle/highlight responses]

4. Have you participated in a research study or focus group in the past 6 months? (Recruit none.)

1. Yes (Thank and terminate.)

2. No (Continue)

5. Do you work for the American Institutes for Research, or the U. S. Department of Education?

   1. Yes (Thank and Terminate)

   2. No (Continue)

   3. Don’t know / Refused (Thank and Terminate)

6. Which of the following describes your age? (READ LIST)

1. under 18 (Thank and terminate)

2. 65 or older (Thank and terminate)

3. 18 to 24 (Continue; recruit a mix of ages)

4. 25 to 34 (Continue; recruit a mix of ages)

5. 35 to 44 (Continue; recruit a mix of ages)

6. 45 to 64 (Continue; recruit a mix of ages )

7. (Do not read) Refused (Thank and terminate)

(Note: Recruit a mix of ages with a higher proportion of younger population 18-34)

7. Which of the following best describes your employment status? (READ LIST)

1. Working full time or part time (Continue)

2. Retired or otherwise not working (Thank and terminate)

3. (Do not read) Don’t know / refused (Thank and terminate)

8. What is YOUR HIGHEST EDUCATION level?

1. Less than High School (Continue)

2. High School Graduate (Continue)

3. Some College, trade, technical or vocational school (Continue)

4. College degree (Continue)

5. Graduate education (Continue)

9. Are you currently attending a college, technical, or trade school?

   1. No (Go to Q11)

   2. Yes (Continue)

10. What are you studying at the college, technical, or trade school? (write-in)

__________________________________________________________________________

11. Are you currently working towards a certification or a state or industry license?

A professional certification or license shows you are qualified to perform a specific job and includes things like Licensed Realtor, Certified Medical Assistant, Certified Teachers, or an IT certification. These do not include business licenses, such as a liquor license or vending license.

1. Yes (Select one)

   1. Currently working towards your first certification or license (Go to Q14 – Recruit 20 (10 currently enrolled in school (Q9)))

   2. Currently working towards getting a new one in addition to the certifications or licenses you already have (Go to Q12 – Recruit 18)

2. No (Continue)

12. Do you have a currently active professional certification or a state or industry license?

    1. Yes (Go to Q13)

    2. No (Thank and terminate)

13. In what year did you get your most recent certification or license

(Recruit 18 participants if between 2010-2016 (past 5 years))

14. RECRUITER: INDICATE GENDER (Recruit a mix of males and females.)

    1. Male

    2. Female

Based on your answers, we would like to invite you to participate in an interview (to discuss your education and work credentials). You will receive $40 to thank you for completing the interview. The interview is about 1 hour in length and will be conducted at XXXXX. If you drive, please park in our garage and bring your ticket with you for validation. We will pay for your parking.

We are conducting interviews on __________ and ___________. Are you available to participate in this research study?

	CIRCLE
Yes	1	 (CONTINUE AND GIVE DIRECTIONS)
No	2	 (THANK AND TERMINATE)

NHES 2017 ATES Focus Groups Recruitment Screener

Hola.

Mi nombre es [XXXXXX] y trabajo para American Institutes for Research. El Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos está realizando un breve pero importante estudio sobre la educación y las credenciales de trabajo de los adultos. American Institutes for Research (AIR) está ayudando con el estudio. Su participación es voluntaria y no recibirá llamadas de ventas o de seguimiento basadas en su participación.

Estamos buscando adultos que nos ayuden a entender cómo interpretar las preguntas de una encuesta sobre la educación y las credenciales de trabajo de los adultos. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la claridad de los materiales de la encuesta y necesitamos la ayuda de personas como usted para hacer esto. La información obtenida del estudio se utilizará para hacer posibles revisiones a la encuesta. Me gustaría hacerle unas preguntas para ver si usted cuenta con los requerimientos necesarios para ser seleccionado para el estudio (tarda unos 5 minutos).

Las siguientes preguntas son solo para darnos información general.

1. ¿Cuál es su nombre? (Escribir)

________________________________________________

2. ¿Cuál es su número de teléfono? (Escribir)

_________________________________________________

3. ¿Cuál es su dirección de correo electrónico? (Escribir)

_________________________________________________

[El entrevistador debe marcar con un círculo las respuestas:]

4. ¿Ha participado en un estudio de investigación o grupo de enfoque en los últimos 6 meses? (RECLUTAR A LAS PERSONAS QUE DIGAN NO.)

3. Sí (Dar las gracias y terminar.)

4. No (Continúe)

5. ¿Trabaja usted para American Institutes for Research o el Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos?

   1. Sí (Dar las gracias y terminar)

   2. No (Continúe)

   3. No sabe / Se niega a contestar (Dar las gracias y terminar)

6. ¿Cuál de las siguientes categorías describe su edad? (LEER LISTA)

8. Menor de 18 (Dar las gracias y terminar)

9. 65 o mayor (Dar las gracias y terminar)

10. De 18 a 24 (Continúe; reclutar varias edades)

11. De 25 a 34 (Continúe; reclutar varias edades)

12. De 35 a 44 (Continúe; reclutar varias edades)

13. De 45 a 64 (Continúe; reclutar varias edades)

14. (No leer) Se niega a contestar (Dar las gracias y terminar)

(Nota: reclutar variedad de edades con una proporción más alta de población joven, 18-34 años)

7. ¿Cuál de las siguientes categorías describe mejor su situación laboral actual? (LEER LISTA)

4. Empleado a tiempo completo o parcial (Continúe)

5. Jubilado o no está trabajando (Dar las gracias y terminar)

6. (No leer) No sabe / se niega a contestar (Dar las gracias y terminar)

8. ¿Cuál es su nivel de educación más alto?

1. Menos que la escuela secundaria/preparatoria (high school) (Continúe)

2. Graduado de la escuela secundaria/preparatoria (high school) (Continúe)

3. Algunos estudios universitarios, de escuela de oficios, técnica o vocacional (Continúe)

4. Título universitario (Continúe)

5. Estudios de posgrado (Continúe)

9. ¿Está actualmente yendo a la universidad, escuela técnica o comercial?

   1. No (Pasar a Q11)

   2. Sí (Continúe)

9. ¿Qué es lo que está estudiando en la universidad, escuela técnica o comercial? (escribir)

__________________________________________________________________________

11. ¿Está actualmente en proceso de obtener una certificación profesional o una licencia industrial o estatal? Una certificación o licencia profesional muestra que usted está cualificado(a) para realizar un trabajo específico e incluye profesiones tales como agente licenciado de bienes raíces, asistente médico certificado, maestro certificado, o una certificación de tecnología de información. No incluya licencias comerciales, tales como de licor o de máquinas expendedoras (vendedoras automáticas)

    1. Sí (Seleccionar una)

       1. Actualmente en proceso de obtener su primera certificación profesional o licencia (Pasar a Q14)

       2. Actualmente en proceso de obtener una nueva además de las certificaciones o licencias que ya posee (Pasar a Q12)

    2. No (Continúe)

11. ¿Tiene usted una certificación profesional o una licencia estatal o industrial que sea válida actualmente?

    1. Sí (Pasar a Q13)

    2. No (Dar las gracias y terminar)

11. ¿En qué año obtuvo su certificación o licencia más reciente?

11. RECLUTADOR: INDICAR GÉNERO (reclutar variedad de hombres y mujeres)

    1. Hombre

    2. Mujer

En base a sus respuestas, nos gustaría invitarle a participar en una entrevista (para discutir su educación y sus credenciales de trabajo). Usted recibirá 40 dólares en agradecimiento por completar la entrevista. La entrevista dura aproximadamente una hora y se llevará a cabo en XXXXX. Si usted conduce, por favor estaciónese en nuestro garaje y traiga su ticket para validarlo. Nosotros cubriremos el costo de su estacionamiento.

Estamos realizando entrevistas en __________ y ___________. ¿Está disponible para participar en este estudio de investigación?

	CIRCULE
Sí	1	 (CONTINUAR Y DAR DIRECCIONES)
No	2	 (DAR LAS GRACIAS Y TERMINAR)

Attachment 3a

NHES 2017 ATES Cognitive Interview Protocol – Round 1

Interview ID:		Date of Interview:
First Name:		Interviewer

STEP 1: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION SCRIPT

Interviewer Instructions: The following scripts should NOT be read verbatim. Text in italics is suggested content with which the interviewer should be thoroughly familiar in advance. Text in brackets [ ] presents instructions for the interviewer.

Hello, my name is <your name > and I work for American Institutes for Research. It’s nice to meet you, thanks for coming to help us out today.

[Create small talk to build rapport with the respondent]

You are here today to help us out with a survey that we are working on for the U.S. Department of Education. This survey asks about adults’ education and training experiences. I will ask you to complete the survey as if you were taking a real survey. There are no right or wrong answers, and it’s ok if you do not know some of the answers. As you are answering the questions I will ask you about your answers. This will help us make the survey better and clearer for other adults like you.

To make sure we learn everything we can from this session, I am going to be taking notes while you are answering the survey and while we are talking [INSERT IF THERE IS AN OBSERVER: and my colleague will also be observing our session today behind the glass or by video].

Also, this interview will be audio recorded so researchers can review the recording later. Any information that refers to you personally, like your name or employer, will not be included in our report, and your responses will be used for research purposes only.

Remember, you are not being tested; all we want is to learn how well the survey works.

If at any time you want to stop, just let me know.

[If, for any reason, the participant is no longer interested in participating, thank the participant for his/her time and end the interview.]

Before we continue, do you have any questions? [Answer any questions they may ask.]

[Provide respondent with a copy of the informed consent form. Ask the respondent to read the form (or read it to him/her, depending on respondent preference), answer any questions, and have the respondent sign the form. Leave a separate copy of the form with the respondent.

If the respondent has consented to recording, start the recorder.]

STEP 2: THINK-ALOUD PRACTICE

While you fill out the survey I want you to talk about how you are answering the questions. Hearing you talk about how you decide on your answers will help me understand how to make the questions better. I am more interested in how you arrive at your answers than in the answers you give. To help you get started on thinking aloud, we are going to do a practice activity. [Show an example by asking yourself the question and answering it using ‘think-aloud’]

I’m going to give you a piece of paper with a question on it. I’m going to ask you to read out loud the question and think aloud as you decide on your answer.

[Give respondent handout with think aloud practice.]

How many glasses of water did you drink yesterday?

Please tell me what you are thinking while you are figuring out your answer.

Probe as needed for detail: How did you arrive at that answer? What were you visualizing when you were deciding on that answer? Can you tell me more about what you are including in your count?

When complete: Thank you; that’s the kind of detail I’m looking for when you talk to me about your answers to the questions in the survey.

[Hand respondent a copy of the questionnaire and a pen or pencil.]

STEP 3: COMPLETION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Now I would like you to complete the questionnaire. I’d like you to think aloud while you decide on your answer. Please read aloud anything you would read to yourself if I were not here.

Remember that I am interested in hearing you talk about what you are thinking as you figure out your answers to the questions.

[REMEMBER TO TELL THEM THROUGHOUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT THEY ARE DOING A GREAT JOB THINKING ALOUD, AND THEIR ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ARE REALLY HELPFUL.]

Useful Probes—Use only as needed when response is unclear or R appears confused or unsure

Can you tell me in your own words what that question was asking?

What does the word [term] in this question mean to you?

How easy or difficult is it to remember [topic]?

How easy or hard was it to choose an answer?

Tell me what you are thinking.

How did you come up with that answer?

You said [answer]. Can you tell me more about that?

[In response to R actions or comments]: Tell me what happened? Tell me what you were doing?

[If you pick up on a visual cue like a furrowed brow or a puzzled look]: Tell me what you are thinking.

[If you pick up on a visual cue that indicates confusion like paper flipping or rereading an old question before answering this question]: Tell me what just happened. Tell me about what you were just doing.

Education
STOP RESPONDENT AFTER Q5 IF NEEDED – Probe on Q1-5	NOTES
ASK QUESTIONS AND USE PROBES ONLY AS NECESSARY
Instructions: It is not necessary to probe on the instructions. Note if the respondent has any problems if they read them.
Q1-Q5: It is not necessary to probe on these questions. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents. Q3: IF YES: ask what their field of study or major is. Note if it seems to be a field where certification or licensing is required, but do not ask the respondent about that (we do not want to bias the respondent for later questions)
Certifications and Licenses
STOP RESPONDENT AFTER Q17 – Probe on Q6-17
Q6-9: It is not necessary to probe on these questions. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.

Q10:  Is your most important certification or license required by a federal, state, or local government agency in order to do that kind of work? Who issued your certification or license? (If R seems confused) How easy or hard was it to answer this question?
Q11: Would you describe this certification or license as… Tell me more about this certification or license. How would you describe it in your own words? How easy or difficult was it to answer this question? What does it mean to you for a certification or license to be “specialized”? How about for a certification or license to be “advanced-level”? Would you describe this certification or license in another way?
Q12-13: It is not necessary to probe on these questions. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Q14: Did you prepare for getting your most important certification or license by…. IF R FIRST GOT CN IN 2015 OR LATER (Q13) AND SAYS THEY TOOK CLASSES: How many classes or trainings did you take from [insert relevant provider]? [Ask about each reported provider from Q14] Tell more me more about these classes or trainings. What was the topic? Who taught the classes? How long were they? How often did they meet? How many hours of instruction were involved in each class or training? How easy or difficult was it to remember how many classes or trainings you took?
Q15: Did any of the following help pay for this certification or license (for example, exam fees, tuition, books, or supplies)… How easy or difficult was it to answer this question? Are any of these options confusing? If respondent has said s/he took classes from a college, technical school, or trade school (in Q14), probe on whether the respondent included all the sources who paid for school tuition and fees. IF ANSWERS YES: Tell me a bit more about the financial support you have gotten. How easy or difficult was it to know the source of the financial support? Note to interviewers: What we are particularly interested in here is if respondents know the source of their funding (govt vs. private institution etc).
Q16-17: It is not necessary to probe on this question. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Q8 through 17 Tell me a little bit more about your most important certification or license—in your own words, what was the process you went through in order to get it?
STOP RESPONDENT AFTER Q23 – Probe on Q18-23
Q21. Is your second most important certification or license required by a federal, state, or local government agency in order to do that kind of work? Who issued your certification or license?
Q22: Would you describe this certification or license as… Tell me more about this certification or license. How would you describe it in your own words? How easy or difficult was it to answer this question? [If not already addressed]: What does it mean to you for a certification or license to be “specialized”? How about for a certification or license to be “advanced-level”? Would you describe this certification or license in another way?
STOP RESPONDENT AFTER Q30 – Probe on Q24-29
Q24-29: It is not necessary to probe on these questions. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Preparation for New Certifications and Licenses
STOP RESPONDENT AFTER Q46; PROBE ON ITEMS 30-46
Q30: Are you currently working on any of the following? What does it mean to you to be currently working on a certification or license? What, to you, is a “new” certification or license? How does it differ from a certification or license that is not new? (If R reports being enrolled in school earlier (e.g., in Q3), try to probe on whether they are in a program that leads to certification or licensure (e.g., teaching, nursing, cosmetology, computer networking, electrician) and if so, whether they consider their current studies to be a part of preparing for certification or licensing in their field.)
Q31: The next few questions ask about the new certification or license you are working on that you consider to be your most important. What is the name the most important new certification or license that you are working on?   What do the words “most important” mean to you in this question? How did you decide which new certification or license you are working on is the most important? How easy or hard was it to choose which of the certifications or licenses you are working on is the most important?
Q32: It is not necessary to probe on this question. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Q33: Is this certification or license required by a federal, state, or local government agency (such as a state board) in order to do that kind of work? Who issues this certification or license? (If R seems confused) How easy or hard was it to answer this question?
Q34: Would you describe this certification or license as… Tell me more about this certification or license. How would you describe it in your own words? How easy or difficult was it to answer this question? What to you does it mean for a certification or license to be “specialized”? How about for a certification or license to be “advanced-level”? Would you describe this certification or license in another way?
Q35: In what month and year did you start working on this certification or license? How did you decide when you started working on this certification license? What was the first thing you did that you considered part of working on it? How easy or hard was it to remember when you started working on this certification or license?
Q36: In what month and year do you expect to get this certification or license? How did you decide when you expect to get this certification or license? How easy or hard is it to know when you expect to get it?

Q37: Are any of the following required to get this certification or license? Tell me a bit more about the process that you have to go through to get this certification or license. How easy or hard was it to know if each of these things is required to get this certification or license? Is there anything else important that you need to do to get this certification or license that is not listed here? IF RESPONDENT SAYS YES FOR CERTIFICATE OR DEGREE: Can you tell me a bit more about the certificate or degree that you are required to complete to get this certification or license? Note to interviewers: What we are interested in here is (1) whether respondents really know what is required to get the CN, (2) whether we are including the most relevant/common requirements, (3) whether we are describing these requirements in terms that make sense to respondents.
Q38: Have you done any of the following as part of working on this certification or license? How easy or hard was it to answer this question? How far along in the process of getting this certification or license would you say you are? Is that question easier or harder to answer than the existing question, or about the same difficulty? What does it mean to you to “work in the field”? Note to interviewers: Pay attention in particular to (1) any confusion related to answering about things that they noted in the previous question are not requirements for getting this certification or license, (2) any confusion over how to respond if they have started working on it but have not yet finished.
Q39: It is not necessary to probe on this question. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Q40: As part of working on this certification or license, how many classes or trainings have you taken from a college, university, technical school, or trade school? How easy or difficult was it to remember how many classes or trainings you have taken from a college, university, technical school, or trade school? Can you tell me a bit more about these classes or trainings? What was the topic? When did you take them? Where did you take them? Will you need to take any more classes or trainings from a college, university, technical school, or trade school to get this certification or license?

Q41: It is not necessary to probe on this question. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Q42: As part of working on this certification or license, how many classes or trainings have you taken from a company, association, or union? How easy or difficult was it to remember how many classes or trainings you have taken from a company, association, or union? Can you tell me more about the classes or trainings you are counting? How long were they? How often did they meet? How many hours of instruction were involved in each class or training? Will you need to take any more classes or trainings from a company, association, or union?
Q43: It is not necessary to probe on this question. Let the respondent continue the think aloud and only probe if respondent says something that indicates a potential problem, or if there is confusion or an inconsistent interpretation compared to other respondents.
Q44: Did (or will) any of the following help pay for this certification or license (for example, exam fees, tuition, books, or supplies)? How easy or difficult was it to answer this question? Are any of these options confusing? IF ANSWERS YES: Tell me a bit more about the financial support you have gotten (or expect to get). Have you already gotten it or is it something you expect to get in the future? How easy or difficult was it to know the source of the financial support? Note to interviewers: What we are particularly interested in here is (1) if respondents know the source of their funding (govt vs. private institution etc) and (2) whether respondents are including/how they are thinking about potential future financial support.
Q45: Did (or will) your employer give you paid release time to work on this certification or license? That is, did (or will) your employer let you work on this certification or license as part of your paid work hours? In your own words, what is this question asking? IF ANSWERS YES: Has this already happened or it is something that you expect will happen? IF EXPECTATION: How sure do you feel that your employer will give you paid release time to work on this?

Q46: Do any of the following describe why you are working on this certification or license? Let’s talk about options A through D: What do these mean to you? What does it mean to get a job in the “same field”; how about in a “different field”? How are these two things different from or the same as each other? Now let’s talk about options E and F: What do these mean to you? How are they different from each other? Or the same as each other? How would you talk about making yourself more marketable to employers or clients? What words would you use? Are there any important reasons why you are working on this certification or license that are not listed here?
Certifications and Licenses You Have Considered Getting
Q47: In the past five years, have you seriously considered working on a new professional certification or license that you did not end up getting? What does it mean to you to “seriously consider working on a certification or license”? IF ANSWERS YES to Q1: Tell me more about this new certification or license you considered working on. What certification or license were you considering getting? How close did you come to getting the certification or license? What (if any) of the requirements for getting the certification or license did you meet?
Q48: Thinking of all the new professional certifications or licenses you considered working on in the past five years but did not end up getting – to what extent was each of the following a barrier to getting any of these certifications or licenses? What does it mean to you for something to be a barrier to getting a certification or license? How easy or difficult was it for you to answer this question? How many certifications or licenses have you considered getting in the past five years that you did not end up getting? IF >1: How easy or difficult was it to think of the barriers for all of these certifications or licenses at once? Are there any other important barriers you faced that are not listed here?

FINAL QUESTION

Is there anything else you would like to tell me about this questionnaire that you haven’t had a chance to mention?

(IF APPLICABLE) REMEMBER TO ASK OBSERVER FOR INPUT/ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

STEP 4. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING

We are finished. Thank you for helping us. The information you’ve provided will be very helpful for making this survey better.

Interviewer Instructions: Collect materials and escort respondent out of the interviewing room and to the lobby. Please give the respondent incentive envelope [$40], and thank them for their time and effort.

Attachment 3b

NHES 2017 ATES Spanish Focus Groups Moderator Guides

The moderator will introduce herself or himself, go over rules and logistics, reference any observers, and explain the purpose of the group. The groups will be conducted in Spanish. We have provided the moderator’s guide in both English and Spanish for review purposes.

Introduction (all groups)

Hello, my name is <your name > and I work for [COMPANY]. It’s nice to meet you, thanks for coming to help us out today.

Hola, mi nombre es <su nombre> y trabajo para [COMPAÑIA]. Mucho gusto de conocerle. Gracias por venir a ayudarnos el día de hoy.

You are here today to help us out with a new research study that we are working on for the U.S. Department of Education. This study asks about your job and your education and training.

Ustedes están aquí hoy para ayudarnos con un nuevo estudio de investigación que estamos realizando para el Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos. Este estudio pregunta acerca de su trabajo y su educación y capacitación.

You were invited here because you are local, Spanish-speaking residents and we need your input. I want you to share your honest and open thoughts with me on this important topic.

Les hemos invitado a este estudio porque ustedes son residentes locales que hablan español y necesitamos su opinión. Quiero que compartan conmigo que piensan de la manera más honesta y abierta sobre este tema importante.

There are no right or wrong answers, and it’s ok if you do not know some of the answers.

No existen respuestas correctas o incorrectas y está bien si ustedes no saben algunas de las respuestas.

Because the information you provide is so important, I am going to be taking notes while we are talking [INSERT IF THERE IS AN OBSERVER: and my colleague will also be observing our session today].

Debido a que la información que ustedes nos darán es muy importante, voy a estar tomando notas mientras estamos hablando [INSERTE SI HAY UN OBSERVADOR: y mi colega también va a observar nuestra sesión de hoy].

Also, this interview will be recorded so researchers can review the recording later. Any information that refers to you or your family personally will not be included in our report and your responses will be used for research purposes only. Remember, you are not being tested; we want you to tell us what you think.

Además, esta entrevista será grabada en audio para que los investigadores del estudio puedan revisar la grabación más tarde. Cualquier información que se refiera a ustedes o sus familias personalmente no será incluida en nuestro informe y sus respuestas serán utilizadas para fines de investigación únicamente.

Recuerden que ustedes no están tomando un examen. Queremos que nos digan lo que ustedes piensa.

Let’s get started by introducing ourselves. Tell me your name and how long you have been working at your current job.

Empecemos por las presentaciones. ¿Podrían decirme su nombre y por cuánto tiempo han estado trabajando en su empleo actual?

Group 1 – Certification Holders

Grupo 1 – Individuos con certificaciones

To start, tell me what certification or license you have and if you have more than one.

Para empezar, díganme por favor qué certificaciones o licencias tienen y si tienen más de una.

What other ones do your coworkers have?

¿Qué otras certificaciones o licencias tienen sus compañeros de trabajo?

Let’s talk more about these. I am interested in the different ones you mentioned. Tell me how these are different.

Are some more advanced than others?

Are they for specific things?

Hablemos más sobre estas. Estoy interesado/a en las diferentes certificaciones o licencias que mencionaron. Díganme cómo estas son diferentes.

¿Hay algunas que sean más avanzadas que otras?

¿Son para cosas específicas?

Why would you need these different ones?

¿Por qué necesitarían ustedes esas diferentes certificaciones o licencias?

What kinds of training or preparation did you have to earn these things? Did you have to take classes? Tell me about those.

Where did you take these classes? Who taught them?

¿Qué tipo de entrenamiento o preparación realizaron para obtener estas certificaciones o licencias? ¿Tuvieron que tomar clases? Háblenme sobre esas clases.

¿Dónde fueron esas clases? ¿Quién las dio?

What about other things like apprenticeships or on-the-job training? Tell me about that.

¿Qué me dicen de otras cosas como programas de aprendiz, o entrenamiento en el trabajo? Háblenme sobre esos programas.

Were there any fees or costs that you had to pay? Were any fees or costs paid by someone other than you, like an employer?

¿Hubo alguna cuota o costo que ustedes tuvieron que pagar? ¿Hubo alguna cuotao costo pagado por alguien que no fueran ustedes, como un empleador?

Did you get time off from your employer to do these things? Tell me more about how that worked. Did you have to ask permission or is it a company policy or something else?

¿Les dio su empleador tiempo libre para hacer este entrenamiento? Díganme un poco más cómo fue eso. ¿Tuvieron que pedir permiso o es política de la empresa o es algo diferente?

In the past five years, have any of you seriously considered working on a new professional certification or license that you did not end up getting?

En los últimos cinco años, ¿consideró alguno de ustedes seriamente trabajar en obtener una certificación profesional o licencia nueva que acabaron por no obtener?

Tell me what these were and the reasons you did not get it?

Díganme cuáles fueron estas y las razones por las que no las consiguieron.

Group 2 – Certification Earners

Grupo 2 – Individuos haciendo una certificación

To start, tell me what certification or license you are working on.

Para empezar, díganme por favor en qué certificaciones o licencias están sacando.

Do you have to take classes? Tell me about those.

Where do you take these classes? Who teaches them?

¿Tienen que tomar clases? Díganme sobre esas clases.

¿Dónde son las clases? ¿Quién las enseña?

What about other things like apprenticeships or on-the-job training? Tell me about that.

¿Qué me dicen de otras cosas como programas de aprendiz, o entrenamiento en el trabajo? Háblenme sobre esos programas.

Are there any fees or costs that you have to pay? Are any fees or costs paid by someone other than you, like an employer?

¿Hay alguna cuotao costo que ustedes tienen que pagar? ¿Hay alguna cuota o costo pagado por alguien que no sean ustedes, como un empleador?

Do you get time off from your employer to do these things? Tell me more about how that works. Do you have to ask permission or is it a company policy or something else?

¿Les dio su empleador tiempo libre para realizar este entrenamiento? Díganme un poco más cómo fue eso. ¿Tienen que pedir permiso o es política de la empresa o es algo diferente?

Why are you getting this certification? What will be the main benefits of getting it?

¿Por qué están obteniendo estas certificaciones? ¿Cuáles serán los principales beneficios de obtenerlas?

Do you think you will get other ones in the future? Tell me about those and why they are important.

¿Creen que obtendrán otras certificaciones o licencias en el futuro? Háblenme sobre esas y por qué son importantes.

What other ones do your coworkers get?

¿Qué otras certificaciones o licencias obtienen sus compañeros de trabajo?

Let’s talk more about these. I am interested in the different ones you mentioned. Tell me how these are different.

Are some more advanced than others?

Are they for specific things?

Hablemos más sobre estas. Estoy interesado/a en las diferentes certificaciones o licencias que mencionaron. Díganme cómo/por qué son diferentes.

¿Hay algunas que sean más avanzadas que otras?

¿Son para cosas específicas?

Why would you need these different ones?

¿Por qué necesitarían ustedes esas diferentes certificaciones o licencias?

In the past five years, have any of you seriously considered working on a new professional certification or license that you did not end up getting?

En los últimos cinco años, ¿consideró alguno de ustedes seriamente trabajar en obtener una certificación profesional o licencia nueva que acabaron por no obtener?

Tell me what these were and the reasons you did not get it?

Díganme cuáles fueron estas y las razones por las que no las consiguieron.

Group 3- Certification Holders and Earners

Grupo 3 – Individuos con certificaciones y también haciendo una certificación

To start, tell me what certification or license you are working on.

Para empezar, díganme por favor en qué certificaciones o licencias están sacando.

Do you have to take classes? Tell me about those.

Where do you take these classes? Who teaches them?

¿Tienen que tomar clases? Díganme sobre esas clases.

¿Dónde son las clases? ¿Quién las enseña?

What about other things like apprenticeships or on-the-job training? Tell me about that.

¿Qué me dicen de otras cosas como programas de aprendiz, o entrenamiento en el trabajo? Háblenme sobre esos programas.

Are there any fees or costs that you have to pay? Are any fees or costs paid by someone other than you, like an employer?

¿Hay alguna cuotao costo que ustedes tienen que pagar? ¿Hay alguna cuota o costo pagado por alguien que no sean ustedes, como un empleador?

Do you get time off from your employer to do these things? Tell me more about how that works. Do you have to ask permission or is it a company policy or something else?

¿Les dio su empleador tiempo libre para realizar este entrenamiento? Díganme un poco más cómo fue eso. ¿Tienen que pedir permiso o es política de la empresa o es algo diferente?

Why are you getting this certification? What will be the main benefits of getting it?

¿Por qué están obteniendo estas certificaciones? ¿Cuáles serán los principales beneficios de obtenerlas?

Do you think you will get other ones in the future? Tell me about those and why they are important.

¿Creen que obtendrán otras certificaciones o licencias en el futuro? Háblenme sobre esas y por qué son importantes.

What other ones do your coworkers get?

¿Qué otras certificaciones o licencias obtienen sus compañeros de trabajo?

Let’s talk more about these. I am interested in the different ones you mentioned. Tell me how these are different.

Are some more advanced than others?

Are they for specific things?

Hablemos más sobre estas. Estoy interesado/a en las diferentes certificaciones o licencias que mencionaron. Díganme cómo/por qué son diferentes.

¿Hay algunas que sean más avanzadas que otras?

¿Son para cosas específicas?

Why would you need these different ones?

¿Por qué necesitarían ustedes esas diferentes certificaciones o licencias?

In the past five years, have any of you seriously considered working on a new professional certification or license that you did not end up getting?

En los últimos cinco años, ¿consideró alguno de ustedes seriamente trabajar en obtener una certificación profesional o licencia nueva que acabaron por no obtener?

Tell me what these were and the reasons you did not get it?

Díganme cuáles fueron estas y las razones por las que no las consiguieron.