http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/retraining-to-become-a-dataabase-administrator.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/retraining-to-become-a-dataabase-administrator.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:42:33 -0500
The work carried out by database administrators is vital and is essential to every aspect of business - be that logistics, payroll or general data supply to other work colleagues. Administrators ensure that this continuous flow of information is not only fast and readily available to everyone who needs it, but is accurate and as up to date as possible. It's a position that is ideally suited for someone who is methodical and analytical in their thinking and enjoys working with complex systems that are constantly changing and evolving.

Retraining as a database manager is much easier than it seems. The position is one that is recognised as being pivotal to the smooth running of any business, whether that's a multi-million pound organisation or a small business. Most databases operate the same user systems, so training in the most popular database programmes is a good way to further your career and to expand your skills set into one that can be transferred between careers. Accreditation is the key, and with some of the biggest IT skills providers now offering easy access to accredited courses, retraining to be a database administrator has never been easier.

One of the most prized certificates to aim for is the MCDBA certificate - the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator. Gaining the MCDBA accreditation really can open international doors for your career and also offers the opportunity of continual career development through extra certification designed to work alongside the basic course.

The best way to retrain as a database administrator is through distance learning packages offered by IT skills specialist providers. In this way you can continue in your current career whilst retraining for a new one, or even perhaps persuade your manager to sponsor you to develop your current job in a completely new direction. An aptitude for computer skills is a requirement but only at the most basic levels as the distance learning courses for MCDBA accreditation are designed to take you through the course step by step. Using distance learning you can develop at your own pace with the full support of a tutor, as well as some classroom based learning sessions at specialist centres.

Retraining of any kind can be a daunting prospect, but as the world economy goes through a shift-change as the result of financial difficulties, many more people are considering a change of career. Training in IT offers everyone the chance to take advantage of new opportunities presented by the phenomenal growth of the IT industry, and database administration is a fundamental key role in that industry. For those who enjoy working with data it's the perfect opportunity to combine transferable skills to a new marketplace and to advance into a career that can take you all over the world.

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Computer Training from Computeach with over 40 years experience helping people move into a career in IT

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/technology/computer-courses-re-skilling-to-become-a-computer-programmer.html http://www.articletrader.com/technology/computer-courses-re-skilling-to-become-a-computer-programmer.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:38:18 -0500
Computer programming can cover every aspect of IT - from maintaining a website to completely reprogramming an entire network system. Consequently, computer programmers need to constantly update their skills set to match the ever-changing technology with which they work. Launching a career as a programmer can appear to be a daunting task at first, particularly if you only have limited experience of working with computers, but with the right training anyone can develop a career as a programmer.

Computer programming courses teach you the 'nuts and bolts' of programming, and yes, it does involve learning another language - C#. This is the universal language used by nearly all computer programmes, and once you are fluent in C# your skills set can be taken all over the world. However, the most important factor in developing a career as a computer programmer is to have what is known as 'accreditation' and for this you need to choose the right computer programming course.

One of the most highly regarded and universally considered 'accredited' courses are the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS: ASP.NET) and the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD: Web Developer) certifications. In both cases, these programming qualifications involve the C# development language and will introduce you to the fundamental skills needed to further a career in computer programming. The MCPD certification track extends to building interactive, data-driven web-based applications - one of the fastest growth areas of IT technology. All businesses are now realising that an online presence is vital if they are to compete in a global market, and good web developers are highly prized and very well paid.

Once you have achieved MCTS or MCPD accreditation, you can expect to earn up to £40k a year with experience. The best way to achieve these highly sought after qualifications is to undertake a 'distance' learning programme with an accredited IT skills provider. Look for providers who carry the Microsoft Gold Standard accreditation and can offer you a flexible course that enables you to learn whilst you continue to work in your current job. Alternatively, talking to your employer and explaining to them that you are looking for career development by gaining accreditation as a programmer is a good way to achieve financial sponsorship to complete the course, particularly if your employer uses Microsoft systems.

Distance learning provides you with all the information you will need to complete your MCTS or MCPD certificates, combined with some classroom based learning sessions at special facilities across the country. You get to learn at your own pace and with the full support of tutors and other students and it can be a far less daunting way of re-entering the education system compared to taking a college course. Programming courses are usually completed in around twelve months, and once you have achieved your certification you can then go on to specialise in particular areas of programming such as web development or systems programming. In a modern world that relies so heavily on new technology, programming courses are the easiest way to begin a career that offers you plenty of challenges and opportunities across the globe.

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Computer Training from Computeach with over 40 years experience helping people move into a career in IT

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/calls-for-better-it-training.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/calls-for-better-it-training.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:01:56 -0500 IT Courses for workers, enabling them to make the most of job opportunities during the recession. With a growth in the number of unemployed as a direct result of the deepening crisis, trade union Unite and IT Sector Skills Council e-skillsUK have written to the skills minister Paul Murphy with a series of recommendations. They believe, as do many other skills providers and IT training organisations, that the UK workforce needs to be equipped to cope with an increasingly digital economy.

One of the key points raised by the letter to Mr Murphy MP emphasises the need to develop a new funding stream which allows providers to offer subsidised training to individuals, rather than placing the financial emphasis on employers. During an economic recession, many employers, particularly those running small to medium sized businesses, do not have the spare capital to invest in the IT training that their workforce needs. Even before the recession began to bite, an e-skills survey showed that employers believed that 37% of their workforce did not have the IT skills they need. As technology develops ever faster, the need for ongoing training and skills development becomes more urgent if UK PLC is to avoid being left behind in the global marketplace.

Over the next three years, employers see this situation as becoming more urgent, believing that a lack of IT user skills training is a major cause of exclusion for many workers from job opportunities and career development. The biggest stumbling block is not the availability of training – of which there is plenty – but the financial support to those who wish to develop their IT skills set.

The Government’s current skills strategy is based around the much publicised ‘Train to Gain’ programme, which allows employers to identify the training needs of their staff and commission publicly subsidised courses for them. However, many employees have only basic IT skills and are excluded from the scheme because the employer may not see any financial or business return from their inclusion. These people, as well as the 17 million identified in a government consultation report as ‘digitally excluded’ and those whose employers choose not to participate in the ‘Train to Gain’ scheme, are at risk of being left behind as the jobs market demands a higher level of IT expertise from job candidates. This problem is compounded by the fact that many of these people fall into a low-income bracket and therefore cannot afford to fund their own training outside work.

Four primary issues have been raised by both Unite and e-Skills – issues that if addressed in a positive manner could see a workforce that is far more equipped to deal with a digital economy and plug the gap in the skills market. They would like to see an increase in flexibility of funding under the ‘Train to Gain’ scheme to allow learners to access funding even if the skills are not directly job related, thereby encouraging career changes. The issue of the funding stream allowing training providers to offer subsidised services is one that has widespread support from many other organisations involved in IT training provision and goes hand in hand with key issues already raised.

Unite and e-Skills would also like to see flexibility within ‘Train to Gain’ to allow funding for employers and their workers who can demonstrate that IT training could allow companies to put workers in other positions within the company and so avoid the spectre of redundancy. This is particularly important during a recession, as it allows businesses to place people where they will be most effective within their organisation, rather than swelling the numbers of the unemployed.

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Karl Parkinson, Chairman.
01384 458515
Karl.Parkinson@computeach.co.uk

Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Careers Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - www.computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/the-uk-recession-why-its-not-all-bad-news-for-it.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/the-uk-recession-why-its-not-all-bad-news-for-it.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:20:03 -0600 IT qualifications and skills-sets, this means that the recession could almost pass them by unnoticed.

Programmers in particular are still in demand, especially those with qualifications and experience in .net, C# and PHP, whilst demand for temporary workers with CNC programming skills is high. C# and .net skills are used for building Windows applications, while PHP is a website programming language. As businesses realise that a high Internet profile is vital to reach an international marketplace, many companies are revamping websites to introduce search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques into their profiles and gain a greater number of online ‘hits’ by increasing their presence on the major search engines. The vast majority of businesses use Windows based technology, so programmers that can work on these systems are guaranteed to be gainfully employed most of the time.

When the dot.com bubble burst in 2001, IT was considered to be the ‘bad guy’ of the marketplace, and was seen more of an expense to a business rather than a strategic advantage. Now with a much more stable Internet marketplace that acts more as a shop window for real (rather than virtual) companies, business-based IT strategies are once again being heralded as not just a strategic advantage but an absolute necessity.

The short-term contract market is particularly strong during a time of economic downturn as companies downsize their full-time workforce to survive the worst of the recession but still need IT consultants and maintenance contractors on a regular basis. Although the number of jobs being advertised has declined the demand hasn’t, and industry professionals see this lack of advertising as an indication that IT specialists with established reputations are being headhunted by companies rather than finding work through applying for advertised positions. The growth of Internet business networking sites also means that businessmen and women can ‘cherry-pick’ the best consultants via electronic means rather than through traditional advertising techniques. Online sites that carry CVs and biographies are also becoming a dominant factor, allowing those looking for IT specialists to select the best candidates based on a far more specific set of criteria.

The most important thing for anyone working in the IT field is to ensure that their skills-sets are as up to date and as comprehensive as possible. Continuous personal development has become much more important in the last few years, and those who constantly update their skills and knowledge are far more likely to be attractive employment propositions to a market that can be exceptionally demanding. The IT sector is a fluid and constantly evolving marketplace that seems to bounce back from recession and back into growth far more quickly than other industries. It also transcends international boundaries and good IT specialists can certainly have the pick of the best positions, not just in the UK but all over the world.

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Karl Parkinson, Chairman.
01384 458515
Karl.Parkinson@computeach.co.uk

Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Careers Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - www.computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/why-getting-the-right-it-skills-is-vital-in-a-recession.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/why-getting-the-right-it-skills-is-vital-in-a-recession.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:11:13 -0600
The importance of the correct qualifications and training in IT cannot be underestimated, and there are particular areas within the industry where those who have the relevant skills are very much in demand. The global financial meltdown was, many believe, inevitable as business shifted its emphasis and a readjustment of the marketplace has resulted in new technology-based industries becoming dominant. Companies are moving away from traditional forms of advertising and promotion and the importance of an online presence is now paramount in a global market. Anyone with training, recognised qualifications and experience in programming languages specifically used for the creation of websites is in high demand, including those who can program in Java, C#, .net and HTML languages.

As business begins to realise the cost effectiveness of a strong Internet presence, languages that incorporate search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques are becoming more prevalent. For a company to rank well on the major search engines, certain criteria are required from each web page that they build. Programmers now not only have to be able to speak the required language; they also need a broader understanding of the nuances of SEO techniques and be able to build these into their programming. This particular area of IT is a rapid-growth field and businesses are becoming far more demanding when building their Internet ‘shop window’. This is why continuous self-development and improvement of skills is so important for IT personnel.

The most popular operating system in use in the workplace is, of course, Windows. The vast majority of companies depend on the Microsoft brand, so training in advanced Microsoft Office and Windows application languages is a must-have capability for anyone entering the IT industry. The other major skill-set that can make an IT professional much more desirable is a good grounding in the database language SQL. SQL is a programming language for querying and modifying data, it manages databases and allows the retrieval, insertion, updating, and deletion of data. A database management system also includes management and administrative functions, so it is easy to see why people with knowledge of this particular language and the associated professional qualifications are so attractive to business.

The jobs market has shifted away from full-time, long-term contracts and more towards shorter term, more transient contracting. Businesses struggle to financially support an entire IT department during times of economic recession, so outside contractors are more likely to be brought in on a short-term basis to trouble-shoot and upgrade systems rather than maintain established ones.

Those with the relevant skills in demand from the modern business world are finding that the recession is hardly impacting on them at all, and those with a wide range of IT skills are reporting that they have never been busier. By ‘reading’ the business indicators and training accordingly, IT consultants can ensure that their livelihoods are secure, even during a period when other businesses are suffering.

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Karl Parkinson, Chairman.
01384 458515
Karl.Parkinson@computeach.co.uk

Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Careers Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - www.computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/why-retraining-should-be-top-of-your-new-years-resolutions.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/why-retraining-should-be-top-of-your-new-years-resolutions.html Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:02:23 -0600
Manufacturing and heavy industries are being superseded by IT and technology based business. IT is one of the fastest growth industries in the country, and there is still a big gap between the number of jobs available and the number of skilled, fully trained candidates to fill those positions. The estimate is that over 150,000 new IT and technology posts are created each year, all of which have good starting salaries and ongoing career prospects. Even in the middle of an economic downturn there are plenty of opportunities available for those willing to take their careers down a new path.

Retraining shouldn't be thought of as a chore. It should be considered as an essential part of your career and a way of challenging yourself to achieve new levels of ability in a market that demands growth. If you are thinking about retraining, consider what your strengths are and how you could develop these into marketable skills. The key phrase here is 'transferable skills'. Retraining does not necessarily mean starting afresh and taking a completely different direction. It is more likely to mean the development of existing skills, which is a lot less intimidating than the thought of retraining in a completely new area. The fear of having to 'go back to school' is the major stumbling block that many people cite when asked about retraining, but with new teaching techniques and more user-friendly approaches to retraining, it is a fear that can be easily overcome.

Retraining can be done at your own pace whilst still maintaining your current job, so financial concerns and the worry that retraining means months without an income are put to rest. The Government has emphasised the importance of ongoing IT training with their 'Earn while you Learn' campaigns and there are plenty of schemes available that can help with costs and course fees for those wishing to retrain, particularly in technology and IT based professions. As British business continues to upgrade to be able to compete in a global market, more positions for technicians and consultants to operate and maintain new systems are being created. Retraining could mean that you could take advantage of this upgrade of UK PLC with a new career and a new direction.

If you feel that your job has become stale or repetitive, a good way to retrain might be to talk to your employer about career development. By showing that you are willing to retrain in other areas you are also confirming your worth to the company as an employee who is willing to help the business grow by developing their own skills. Again, the Government is encouraging business owners to consolidate their companies by investing in employee training, so the suggestion may well be met with enthusiastic approval.

A New Year really can mean a new start, so retraining is a resolution that you can make in the knowledge that you can only benefit from the time and commitment it involves. It's also a much wiser financial investment than a gym membership!

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Karl Parkinson, Chairman.

Karl.Parkinson@computeach.co.uk

01384 458515

Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Careers Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - http://www.computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/nvq-vs-microsoft-a-battle-of-the-bytes.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/nvq-vs-microsoft-a-battle-of-the-bytes.html Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:33:11 -0600
The traditional choice has been between the Government-backed NVQ system and vendor qualifications such as those created by the likes of Microsoft and Cisco. The NVQ system is fine if you want a generic overview of IT, but is lacking when it comes to developing software/hardware-specific skills. The other major problem with NVQ qualifications is that they are not in demand within the IT industry whereas vendor qualifications are. With no Government funding to back courses leading to vendor qualifications, this makes the most sought-after Microsoft qualifications unobtainable to those who cannot afford the fees, unless supported by employers or though committed personal funding. This is a crying shame for the IT industry, because it’s these vendor qualifications that are most in demand in an expanding industry ruled by the mighty Microsoft.

Businesses can receive government funding to retrain their employees towards NVQ qualifications. However, this precludes the individual seeking a career change, because few employers are going to use government funds to cross train an employee and then stand by and watch them apply for a job at a different company involving their new skills.

The higher level NVQs are awarded following a period of work place assessment. Again, this precludes the individual seeking a career change. It’s a classic Catch 22 situation, without the qualification you stand less chance of gaining a new career, but you cannot gain an NVQ without work place assessment!

Another problem is the ability to update NVQ curriculums to match the pace of technological advancement within the IT industry, in particular software development. This is where vendor training is far more relevant and where Microsoft training in particular comes into its own.

There is no debating the fact that Microsoft’s Windows is the operating system of choice for both personal and business use. Microsoft has been at the forefront of the IT revolution for over 20 years now, and doesn’t look like relinquishing its crown to any newcomers any time soon. This means that Microsoft software will continue to develop and integrate itself into the business world, requiring workers trained specifically in its operation and future developments currently in the pipeline. Qualifications such as the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician certificate give those holding it the opportunity to work wherever Microsoft software is used – which is just about everywhere these days. These vendor qualifications are more relevant than a generic NVQ, and certainly look better on a CV because it tells a prospective employer that the candidate is capable of using the employer’s network software or hardware.

NVQs certainly have their place in skills development and retraining, even in mid-career. The differing levels of NVQ qualification enable everyone to update their CV with a generic certificate that shows an ability to grasp the general principles of IT or software/hardware use and maintenance. However what employers are looking for now is a workforce that has specific training in a particular area and to a very high level. In this instance, vendor qualifications win hands down every time.

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Karl Parkinson, Chairman.
01384 458515.
Karl.Parkinson@computeach.co.uk

Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Training Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - www.computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/building-up-a-healthy-balance-on-your-skills-account.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/building-up-a-healthy-balance-on-your-skills-account.html Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:48:05 -0600
Lord Leitch’s 2006 final report into the ‘Review of Skills’, commissioned by the government in 2004, acknowledged that there is a problem. But it failed to provide any real, workable recommendations to individual sectors. Instead it focused on providing continued support and funding for generic training schemes that have very little impact on industry-specific areas such as IT.

The latest initiative to be piloted is the ubiquitous ‘Skills Accounts’, which the government hopes will encourage the British workforce to retrain and develop skills throughout their working lives. The principle driving force is to stop people bouncing between short-term employment which does nothing to increase their skills base. A Skills Account aims to provide:

• A funding voucher
• Careers advice services
• A secure online record of learning

As the initiative gains momentum, other benefits and services will be added, including a CV builder, a ‘Skills Health Check’, a statement of learning and employer access to view a learner’s skills and qualifications. The initiative has been a joint-departmental development between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. It is the result of recommendations from the original Leitch report and from the Committee of Public Accounts 13th report, ‘Sustainable Employment: Supporting people to stay in work and advance’. Whether it has any positive impact in the encouragement of skills development within the workforce remains to be seen.

There are fundamental flaws within the Leitch report in particular, and they are issues that Karl Parkinson, MD of Computeach, sees as major stumbling blocks to the success of the initiative. “The Government needs to recognise that different industries require different solutions to skills shortages,” he says. Although the Skills Accounts approach may be a workable solution within industries such as manufacturing, public service or other low to medium skill level industries, for the more high-tech industries such as IT, it has its drawbacks.

The structure of the Skills Accounts scheme is very similar to the ‘Train to Gain’ scheme, which has seen considerable success in recent months. The success has been restricted, though, to industries such as plumbing, electrical and joinery, but has no relevance for those training in IT. The qualifications offered had no direct relation to software-specific skills development, for example. The concern is that the Skills Account will follow the same, narrow path, excluding one of the most important growth industries in the UK, namely IT.

The Skills Account carrot is the training voucher, which will enable learners to gain a grant towards skills development and retraining. But again, these vouchers will only cover certain types of training, leaving those wishing to develop IT skills holding an invoice for their college fees and having to find the funding for themselves without government help. "The IT sector is in desperate need of skilled workers, yet in order to fulfil the number of positions available, people need encouragement to transfer from other areas of the workforce,” says Karl Parkinson. “If the Government is unwilling to subsidise or fund private training schemes which specialise in providing industry recognised vendor qualifications such as the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer through distance and e-learning, then people will be disadvantaged.

And therein lies the fundamental problem. Yes, the Government is recognising that retraining and skills development is vital to keep the workforce at the cutting edge of a modern marketplace and yes, there will always be a need for plumbers. But in a modern, technology-driven age, there is a desperate need for highly trained IT experts as well. The hope is that the government will realise this and that Skills Accounts when launched proper involves vendor qualifications. The UK has the potential to become the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Europe, but training initiatives must embrace the right qualifications and flexible learning methods such as e-learning if new entrants to IT have any chance of maintaining a healthy ‘Skills Account’ in the future.

--
Karl Parkinson, Chairman.
01384 458515.
Karl.Parkinson@computeach.co.uk

Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Training Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - www.computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/what-can-i-achieve-with-an-it-career.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/what-can-i-achieve-with-an-it-career.html Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600
The marketplace – is IT really that important?

Well, it’s not all bad news on the job front in the UK. Research published by the Globalisation and Economic Policy Centre at the University of Nottingham(2) has said that although one in seven private sector jobs are lost in the UK each year, more are being created in their place. The indications are that the private sector work market is extremely fluid.

Dr Peter Wright, associate professor at Nottingham University confirms this notion of a constantly evolving marketplace: “This shows how dynamic the UK employment market is. This also has important implications in terms of training provision, as many workers are likely to need to regularly change or update their skills.”

The growing and transient job market has shifted position in the UK over the past 30 years, away from manufacturing and towards IT based industries – ranging from the financial sector, multi-media applications, even the much-maligned call centre. The opportunity for careers in IT has never been broader, or more accessible.

The widespread adoption of the Internet as a tool for business has seen a surge in ‘over the ‘net’ sales. In 2005, 93% of business in the UK with ten or more employees reported that personal computers were being used in day-to-day business (2).

Amongst the largest businesses (those with 1,000 or more employees), the figure was nearly 100%. This demonstrates quite clearly how essential information and communication technology (ICT) has become to the UK and indeed the global economic model.

The same survey by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) found that in 2005 the value of sales over the Internet was £103 billion, accounting for 34% of sales across all kinds of ICT by non-financial sector businesses. If you include the financial sector into that equation, the numbers increase dramatically.

Even industries that you would not normally expect to be heavily influenced by the use of IT, such as wholesale, retail, catering and travel, reported the highest value of sales over the Internet at £49 million, representing £47 out of every £100 of goods sold.

The clear indication amongst all these statistics is that jobs in IT have never been more important to the global economy. Without a solid foundation in the application of ICT technology, a business will be hard pressed to compete on equal terms with its rivals. Which is why IT careers will continue to offer both opportunities for employment in almost any marketplace and a decent salary to boot. The stale, hackneyed vision of ‘speccy techs’ in the IT department of any company is now passé. Geek is the new chic.

IT career development

Over one million people are currently employed in the IT sector, and over 150,000 new entrants are needed by a whole range of industries in the UK every year. However, your horizons are not just restricted to the UK. With internationally recognised qualifications crossing borders and country boundaries, the chance to work anywhere in the world has opened up the movement of IT professionals across the globe. The international oil industry, for example, is prepared to pay well for IT professionals who can incorporate their IT training into oil exploration and research into alternative fuels.

If heavy industry is not your particular field, then the more creative industries now rely on those with good IT qualifications and experience to supply them with ever more exciting visual images – on their websites, their advertising and their marketing. Without the benefit of IT, the Internet would be a far less visually stimulating place. Starting salaries in the industry average around £23,000. With higher level qualifications and a willingness to continually update and compliment your training, that figure can rise considerably.

Working life has changed dramatically in the past few years, with more people starting to realise that the possibility of working from home gives them a greater control over their work/home life ratio. Christopher Pissarides, in his keynote address to the Austrian Presidency conference on Innovations in Labour Market Policies(3) concludes that, “…essential labour market reforms include an increase in the flexibility of employment.”
Although he highlights the UK and the Netherlands as being the most pro-active countries in developing a more flexible working environment, the advent of a new age in which IT careers play a dominant role can only help to improve that situation. IT is a multi-faceted career choice that enables people to be particularly selective about how they work and how their career develops. It gives them the opportunity to take back control of their careers.

With the right IT training, which can be incorporated into career development or run parallel to an existing job, the potential marketplace opens up for a candidate. Networking (a particular growth industry as the national boundaries break down between businesses), database administration, web design and programming are all real-time opportunities, once the appropriate training has been applied. A senior web designer can earn as much as £40,000 and, if you cast your net further afield and look to working abroad, can be much higher.

So what can you achieve with an IT career? Take your pick - of locations, of job descriptions, of future career development – whatever you like. The limits are only ones that you impose yourself. The IT industry is far from fully grown, and with the rate of technology development growing rapidly, there is little chance that a newly qualified IT specialist will be entering a shrinking marketplace anytime soon, despite the poor figures from Yahoo!.

In the 18th Century, the Industrial Revolution propelled the world forward into a new age. In the 21st Century, it is safe to assume that the second revolution, the Technological Revolution, has only just started.

(1) HRM Guide 2008 – University of Nottingham
(2) Office of National Statistics, e-Commerce survey
(3) Innovations in Labour Market Policies: Challenges in Times of Globalisation – Vienna, 16-17th February 2006

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Karl Parkinson, Chairman.
Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Training Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - http://www.computeach.co.uk/

For interviews, images or comments contact:
Rosie Guise,
Marketing,
Computeach International Ltd,
Phone: 01384 458515,
Email: rosie.guise@computeach.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/where-have-all-the-good-women-gone-tackling-the-gender-imbalance-in-the-it-industry.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/career/where-have-all-the-good-women-gone-tackling-the-gender-imbalance-in-the-it-industry.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
So, where have all the good women gone? What steps need to be taken to help address this gender imbalance? And what are the implications for the skills shortage in the UK?

From computer geek to computer chic

The IT industry has a serious image problem. For many young women, the idea of working in IT doesn’t top their list of career choices. Thanks to the social stereotype of IT professionals, including their portrayal in mainstream television shows like the BBC’s The IT Crowd, the perception of working in IT is often viewed as dull and uninspiring.

Women are dramatically underrepresented within the IT industry with numbers of female IT professionals declining year on year. In 2007, only 18 per cent of IT and telecoms professionals were female – a four per cent drop since 2001(1).

The negative perception of IT obviously has a role to play in acting as a deterrent for women considering entering the profession. IT is widely acknowledged to be a male dominated industry, which also acts as a barrier for women who can feel intimidated by being out numbered so drastically. Tackling IT’s image problem and promoting the benefits of the industry to women is essential in order to move away from the stereotype ‘computer geek’ to the more realistic ‘computer chic’.

What’s in IT for the ladies?
In reality IT has a lot to offer women and, equally, women have a lot to offer IT. Although the industry is male dominated and associated with skill sets traditionally linked with men, such as a logical, methodical and practical outlook, this is a generalised and outdated view. In fact, many roles within the industry, including web design and help desk technical support, require creativity, communication, team working and problem solving skills – attributes traditionally linked with women.

A large proportion of roles within IT are either project or shift based and are compatible with working from home. This level of flexibility should act as a major incentive for single mothers or women with existing commitments. In addition, the salary on offer to IT professionals is increasing substantially. According to recent research carried out by Salary Services Ltd, the average salary on offer to the IT professional in the fourth quarter of last year rose by over two and a half per cent, the same as in the second quarter and up from just under two per cent a year earlier(2).

Why we need to encourage more women into IT

The Government has openly recognised the skills shortage impacting on the IT sector but has so far only offered generalised solutions to the problem. The Blue Card scheme, for example, was a Government recommendation aimed at plugging the skills gap by using skilled foreign workers. But what about exploiting the existing capabilities at home? What about recognising the problem, offering tangible solutions and giving people, especially underrepresented groups, the support and funding they need to train for a rewarding IT career in an industry experiencing a skills shortage?

It’s essential that we begin to address the gender imbalance as a means of plugging the skills gap and sustaining the UK’s industry and economy. Through portraying an accurate image of the industry, and challenging the way training is funded, this can become a reality. Having more women working in technology sectors, with a diverse range of skills, backgrounds and outlooks, will move the industry forward into the 21st century and put the UK back at the forefront of IT innovation.

Moving forward

Currently, only 15 per cent of applicants to computing degrees, and 10 per cent of A-level computing students, are female(3). This imbalance is mirrored throughout the industry and has a significant role to play in the skills shortage. Women have so much to offer an industry in desperate need of rejuvenation but to make moving into IT a feasible option for women the financial support has to be available.

At the moment access to grants in England and Wales is limited and much of the Government’s budget for adult learning is channelled through employers. This means that women, perhaps single mothers working in one sector but wishing to retrain to improve their prospects in another, are unable to make the move through the lack of financial support. Yet, if this was readily available, many women would be in a position to become career changers and enter the IT industry with the skills and qualifications needed to reduce the impact of the skills shortage – saving the Government goodness knows how much in the long term!

We’re in major need of new talent, fresh ideas and approaches – through encouraging women into the field we can ensure that the UK’s technology sector can compete in a global market and address the skills gap. Challenging traditional stereotypes of IT professionals, and of the industry itself, through positioning the sector as one of choice for women is a sure fire way to make this a reality.

(1) - e-Skills UK, Technology counts: IT and Telecoms insights, January 2008
(2) - According to Salary Services IT salary survey, March 2008: salaryservices.co.uk
(3) - e-Skills UK, Technology counts: IT and Telecoms insights, January 2008

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Helen York, Careers Consultant,
Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Training Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers.

For more information visit - www.computeach.co.uk

For interviews, images or comments contact:
Rosie Guise,
Marketing,
Computeach International Ltd,
Phone: 01384 458515,
Email: rosie.guise@computeach.co.uk

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