Competency Model for Network Engineer
Network Engineer – A technology professional who is highly skilled in planning, constructing, and
managing networks to ensure they are optimized and functioning as intended. This person is
responsible for the foundation of an organization’s IT system.
Industry-Sector Technical Competencies
Related Instruction for dual training means the organized and systematic form of education resulting
in the enhancement of skills and competencies related to the dual trainee’s current or intended
occupation.
• Systems analysis – Able to study a procedure or business to identify its goals and purposes and
create systems and procedures that will achieve them in an efficient way.
• Computer network architecture – Understand specifications detailing how a set of software and
hardware technology standards interact to form a computer system or platform.
• Security and computing networks – Understand rules and configurations designed to protect the
integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of computer networks and data using both software and
hardware technologies.
• Software engineering – Understand the detailed study of engineering to the design, development,
and maintenance of software.
• Robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning – Understand hybrid technology integration to
execute tasks and solve problems.
• Data analytics – Understand the science of examining raw data with the purpose of discovering
knowledge and how that data interacts with the overall network.
• Performance engineering – Demonstrated understanding of the techniques applied during a systems
development life cycle to ensure the non-functional requirements for performance will be met.
Occupation-Specific Competencies
On-the-Job Training (OJT) is hands-on instruction completed at work to learn the core competencies
necessary to succeed in an occupation. Common types of OJT include job shadowing, mentorship, cohort-
based training, assignment-based project evaluation and discussion-based training.
• Network infrastructure – Know how to analyze, design, install, configure, maintain, and repair
network infrastructure and application components to meet company and user satisfaction.
• Recognize functional problems – Understand how to identify and problem solve problems with
functionality in computer networks.
• Documentation of development/revisions – Know and practice the discipline of recording steps and
changes in network development and maintenance.
• Cloud ecosystems – Understand how cloud technology works in network computing.
• Upgrade/maintain systems – The act of rolling out improvements to network systems, which are
required for integration with other systems and programs.
• Team interface – Understand how to work with various teams, vendors, clients and others for the
implementation and support of networking products and services.
Updated July 2022
