The British Computing Society (BCS) must urgently revamp its strategy for supporting the UK’s IT professionals, or accept it no longer has a place in today’s industry, says the IT Training Company of the Year.

Firebrand Training, which has been the UK’s IT Training Company of the Year for the past three years, is concerned about the lack of awareness within the industry of becoming a chartered IT professional. Recent research run by the accelerated learning company found that 91% of IT professionals are unaware of the BCS’ CITP accreditation scheme.

So Firebrand Training, which has been recognised by Microsoft as a Gold Partner for Learning Solutions (MCPLS), is urging the BCS to change its strategy: get rid of its image as an academic organisation and become more of an advisory network, which can provide more information on the practical realities of starting and developing a successful career in IT. This could be achieved through a total image overhaul, starting with a name change to bring the organisation into the 21st century, it says.

“It’s an open secret that in its current form, BCS has no real connection to the UK’s IT community or those looking to start a career in IT,” said Robert Chapman, CEO of Firebrand Training. “The organisation has reached a crossroads - either continue as an academic organisation that is viewed as fusty and irrelevant by the majority of IT professionals, or overhaul the aims and objectives of the organisation to help spearhead a campaign to revitalise the industry and bring in bigger numbers of new joiners.

“The irony is that if the academics leading BCS had done more over the past 50 years to push their students to the CITP, we could be looking at a booming and competitive industry filled with chartered experts, similar to the accountancy and surveyancy industries” continued Chapman. “This will only be achieved through dynamic action – starting with a name change and image overhaul.”