The Poool Adds Certification Program to its Platform
AVT Pro Certification increases the functionality of the media localization industry registry

The Poool, an independent reference directory of media localization professionals, announced today that it is adding a certification component to its platform. The Poool platform has been developed by OOONA, a global provider of management and production tools for the media localization industry, and is backed by multiple industry stakeholders.

The Poool was launched in early 2021 and has already proved to be a valuable resource according to testimonials from many localization providers. Over 750 professionals have already subscribed and secured new clients through it. The Poool is managed by a steering committee and an advisory board consisting of representatives from industry associations, academia, researchers, independent professionals, and language service providers.

The steep increase in demand for media localization services of all types, due to the proliferation in streaming content, has brought about a growing demand for talent. The wide diversity of applicant backgrounds makes it difficult to verify the quality offered by localization professionals without having to put them through rigorous and expensive testing procedures.

The Poool aims to change this state of affairs with the launch of the AVT Pro Certification, a professional qualification that will be recognized and accepted by buyers of localization services as a badge of quality and competence.

“We aim to acknowledge professionals who have the linguistic knowledge and technical skills needed to provide high quality services to the audiovisual industry,” say Prof. Jorge Díaz-Cintas and Dr. Serenella Massidda, the two leading academics who have been tasked with designing, developing and executing the AVT Pro Certification program.

The initiative is led by The Poool steering committee, which consists of the two aforementioned academics as well as one representative from each of the sponsoring organizations, who have pledged their support. The result of extensive discussions, the AVT Pro Certification is the brainchild of a group of experts who sit in The Poool advisory board and represent the industry, professional associations and academia, and which reflect current market needs.

The AVT Pro Certification initiative is endorsed by eight sponsoring organizations to date. They will contribute to the shaping of the program and will influence the prioritization of the languages in which it will be rolled out. All registered users of The Poool will benefit from the guarantee of excellence that AVT Pro Certification will provide in their search for qualified candidates. The sponsoring organizations are Blu Digital Group, Collot Baca Localization, Firstlight Media, IDC, Roundabout Entertainment, Visual Data, ZOO Digital and OOONA.

About The Poool

The Poool (https://the-poool.com) is an industry registry of media localization professionals. It is governed by a steering committee of sponsoring industry organizations, as well as leading academics Prof. Jorge Díaz-Cintas and Dr. Serenella Massidda, who oversee its AVT Pro Certification program. The Poool enjoys the support of an advisory body consisting of representatives from all industry sectors, professional organizations and associations as well as academia, who guide its development.

About OOONA

OOONA.Net Ltd. (www.ooona.net) develops professional management and production tools for the media localization industry. OOONA’s software addresses any subtitling, voiceover, dubbing or captioning need, while modular pay-as-you-go pricing allows users to select the features they require. OOONA’s technology is trusted by thousands of users in over 100 countries around the world.