It has become a money-making scheme of certifications, trainers, certifiers, consultants, and a big all-around circle jerk of regurgitated mush selling snake oil.
You just nailed it! It's high time we changed the orientation from paper certificate to real skills acquisition. However, extortion of the this type (professional programme) is very common in IT sphere.
Regards to you!
Don't get me wrong, I think certs can have a place. But, they no longer bring as much meaning as it has become more about money than ensuring a person has the required skills.
I literally sat through a class where the instructor said "You have to understand to leave the real world outside when testing. The test is not based on the real world."
Are you fucking serious? WTF!
Of course!On the same page with you.
Sometimes, that is the reality. Lol