After a period of unemployment I'm thinking of putting my good IT skills to use and becoming an IT Trainer. What I'd really like to know is whether the marketplace for trainers is particularly good at the moment, or would I be better served re-training in another profession.
David James
6 Responses
Training markets
There is always a market for those who excel in their skills. We are currently seeking IT and management tutors. For further details on the sorts of CVs that impress us and our clients email us at Tbdgloballtd@aol.com
IT Training vacancies
The current climate is client governed and therefore is quite slow. There are some good training recruitment agencies out there who would be better placed to advise you. Send me an email and I will give you the contact details.
jacqs@bradney.fsnet.co.uk
Call me
I work for an I.T agency and specialise in training requirements for my clients. Please feel free to contact me and I will give you as much help as I can. 01727 836 361
IT Trainer
David,
A couple of questions you may or may not have considered:
Are you a patient person (I mean, really patient)?
Do you like multi skilling?
Do you like a challenge?
Do you have good ‘manual writing skills’?
Are you used to dealing with IT people who assume you have very little knowledge of IT?
Do you like assisting people with IT projects, especially at the last moment?
Are you used to constantly reporting on your activities?
Could you train some-one who is highly skilled and challenges all of your knowledge at the same time as you train someone who has trouble clicking on the mouse?
Can you interpret IT information so that the layperson can understand what it means?
Are you a ‘people person’?
Do you have a great sense of humour?
If you answered ‘Yes!’ to most of the questions above, then complete an accredited ‘Train the Trainer’ course before you search for a position. You will learn a great deal about adult learning principles and some great tips.
Also, make contact with some teachers and ask them for tips. (Maybe offer to teach an IT class in your local school to see if you like it?)
It can be a real challenge for a person with IT skills to make the change to IT training but it is a great job.
Certification Recommended
Dear David
In the current economic climate corporates are tending to rationalise their IT training spend and if possible reduce the number of suppliers they deal with.
As part of this exercise they are increasingly asking training suppliers for evidence of Institute of IT Training accreditation.
In the case of individual trainers or freelancers IITT TAP Certification is increasingly preferred.
If you do decide to embark on a career in IT Training then I would recommend that you factor in any costs associated with completing one of the Institutes TAP Training Delivery Skills Courses.
You will find further information at:
http://www.iitt.org.uk
I hope this helps
Yours sincerely
Adrian
Superb Questions…
I am an IT trainer and I agree totally with Paul Winbank’s superb questions. I can relate to all of them and probably answer “yes” to most of them, depending on the sort of day I’m having!
I also agree with his advice re: completing an accredited “Train the Trainer” course and I recommend an excellent Training Delivery Skills course, I attended a while ago, at the IITT.