Jooli Atkins starts her new column on TrainingZone.co.uk by asking IT trainers to stand up and be counted, in a bid to gain more respect from HR.

IT training - does it fall under the IT or HR function? Always a dilemma, it became very apparent that IT training is not perceived to be part of the HR development function at HRD 2008 in London recently when even IT training specialist organisations were hiding their IT courses behind the much more high profile 'soft skills' course portfolio. HR-related training is often perceived as higher value because the charges are more. But is it about money or value?

TrainerBase – the Association for Learning Practitioners – carries out an annual rates survey and their findings for the past three years confirm that of the defined training areas, technical (IT) and regulatory are always at the bottom, way below soft skills (behavioural) and management (procedural). It is the same in the employed sector as well. An IT trainer advert I saw recently said 'no training experience necessary'. Imagine if that was included in a management trainer advert!

All of this could have something to do with the link between organisational hierarchy and the perceived value of training.

<img src=/files/siftmedia-trainingzone_images/diagram_tz.jpg" alt="diagram"

It appears that the higher up the organisational hierarchy the learner, the greater the investment in their development, but is that the right way to look at it?

This is probably to do with the perceived value and benefit of a days' training and the impact that it has on the bottom line. There is an argument that end user training could have a significantly greater benefit to the bottom line (per pound spent than that spent on unquantifiable leadership development) if only IT trainers perceived themselves as transformational.

"Come on HR – catch up and recognise that we not only have great technical skills but the best of us also have the type of learning facilitation skills that many management and soft skills trainers would be proud of."

What does all this say about the importance of IT end users? If organisations are not prepared to invest in them, it shows in the quality of the training they receive. They do not use the tools given to them appropriately and so management is confirmed in its view that there is no point in providing any training for end users – the myth is self-perpetuating.

The IT training profession does not do itself any favours in terms of recognition. Within IT training, 'user' training is considered far less significant than 'technical' training. Being an end user IT trainer is often perceived as a lack of technical ability - because any trainer with technical ability would surely not chose to train end users.

Sadly, it is historical, because the first IT trainers tended to be technical subject-matter experts, who were often incapable of imparting their expertise to others – very bad trainers. On the other hand, soft-skills and management trainers were often charismatic communicators capable of holding an audience's attention and grabbing headlines. Neither of the two was an effective learning facilitator but the latter was at least entertaining!

To the present day, then, where IT subject matter experts are often used within organisations as 'champions', being asked to deliver training or desk side support without any idea of how adults learn. IT training is seen as the 'easy option' for anyone going into training, with training providers offering one day Train the IT Trainer courses for those who specialise. Although useful as a conversion for those moving into IT training, it is rarely marketed as such and course outlines anticipate anyone attending being able to train in IT after just one day. For a subject matter expert, it is, at least, a step in the right direction but it is also perpetuation of the transactional approach: another self-fulfilling prophecy.

The work that the Institute of IT Training has done over the past 10 years to raise professionalism within the profession has been a great start and the BCS sponsorship of IITT events, culminating in a joint conference in September 2008 is a great move towards IT recognition of trainers. But come on HR – catch up and recognise that we not only have great technical skills but the best of us also have the type of learning facilitation skills that many management and soft skills trainers would be proud of. Some of us are even more creative because of the perceived 'dry' topics and lack of inspired training in IT in the past.

The fact that we put up with a situation where we are neither part of the IT or HR function, because neither values us, without standing our ground, is further confirmation of the perception that we accept that we do not add value in the same way as others who get paid more. We must wear our specialism with pride and stand up for it. Let's start a campaign and wear the badge... 'I'm an IT training professional – and proud of it!'.

Jooli Atkins is chair of the British Computer Society (BCS) information and technology training specialist group and author of 'The IT Trainer's Pocketbook'. She's also an IT training professional at Matrix FortyTwo