India Faces IT Skills Shortfall
The trend for outsourcing means that demand is set to outstrip supply for IT professionals in India, according to a new report.A report by business consultancy McKinsey and Nasscom warns that India faces a shortfall of 500,000 IT professionals by 2010. The IT sector expand by around 30% in India over the past two years, […]
Microsoft Unveils New Cerification Framework
Microsoft has announced a new certification framework that targets specific job roles and aims to be more closely aligned to IT professionals’ career development.This new generation of qualifications will have two levels of identification: the credential area and certification area: The credentials:• Technology credentials allow candidates to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the particular technologies they […]
Launch of IT Skills Profiler
e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT, telecoms and contact centres, has developed an online IT skills management service. Called the SFIA Profiler, it is based on the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) and aims to provide a description of the skills required by IT professionals, including descriptions of what should be […]
Schools Get £125m for E-Learning
English schools are set to share in £125m e-learning credits to spend on educational software, the government announced this week.Schools have the freedom and choice to use the products that are best suited to their pupils’ and teachers’ needs to help them to make even better use of powerful tools such as laptops, interactive whiteboards […]
Feature: Language Skills – Ignore Them at Your Peril
The UK doesn’t have a tremendous reputation for linguists, but with the increasing pressures of globalisation, businesses need staff with foreign language skills more than ever. James Pitman, MD for Rosetta Stone UK looks at how e-learning can be a cost effective method of learning new language skills. One of the most prevalent issues facing […]
IT Skills Shortage Expected to Grow
The UK is facing a growing IT skills gap and by 2008 will be short of around 40,000 people with networking technology skills, according to a study published this week. However the research, conducted by IDC and commissioned by networking giant Cisco, predicts that over that same period the UK will become top of the […]
Lectures Start on Employer-Led IT Degree
Students starting an innovative IT degree have had the first of a series of inspirational business lectures by industry thought-leaders.The Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) BSc (Hons) is a partnership between four universities and e-skills UK, with the aim of creating a business-focussed IT course.Employers including BT, Computer Associates, Ford, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lehman […]
Feature: Time Up, Pens Down
The familiar words uttered at the end of exams may soon become an echo in the past. Assessment on demand, instant feedback and speedy identification of knowledge gaps, Michael Brannick, president of Thomson Prometric looks at the future for e-assessment. The days of paper-and-pencil exams may soon be over for vocational exams according to a […]
E-Learning Trends on Agenda at Global Conference
Almost 100 leaders in the areas of training and online learning from the USA, UK, Australia and South Africa, have been discussing the industry’s key trends and issues. Organised by global e-learning producer TATA Interactive Systems (TIS), the conference looked at trends in learning. Elaborating on the role of online universities in supporting workforce development, […]
MoD Prepares for Change with IT Training
As it prepares to outsource its IT function, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is taking steps to ensure the staff involved are ready for change.The MoD is offering staff a blended programme leading to the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) qualification. Named Adapto, and coined ‘Fit to stay, Fit to go’, the programme aims […]
IT Workers Under Pressure to Pay for Own Training
The UK is heading for a critical skills shortage as IT professionals resist corporate pressure to spend their own money on training, according to a new study. In a survey of 100 IT professionals, Thomson NETg found that, while 36% expect to have to pay for their own education, 50% cite cost as the biggest […]
Feature: Blending the Right Solution
Many organisations found that e-learning to failed to live up to its initial promise. Here Frank Salisbury of Business and Training Solutions International looks at some of the common problems of e-learning and how blended delivery can overcome them. There is little doubt that e-learning has not achieved the success it promised some 10 years […]
Bespoke E-Learning Pays Dividends
E-learning must be designed to meet the needs of the organisation and staff if it is to deliver benefits, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.Recent research from the CIPD indicates that over half of organisations (54%) use e-learning. The research shows that employers are concentrating on developing e-learning modules specific to their […]
QA Gets Developers’ Vote
QA has been voted Training Company of the Year for the third year in succession by the readers of developers magazine Visual Systems Journal (VSJ). Based on an open vote by the magazine’s readers, the VSJ reader awards recognise excellence across the developer community. Including categories for software and developer tools as well as books […]
E-Learners Need Greater Information and Support
Educating delegates on the benefits of e-learning will have the greatest impact on completion rates, according to new research.The survey, from by e-learning company SkillGate, foundd that 40% of HR and training managers believe making staff fully aware of the advantages of online learning is the most important factor in improving completion rates. A further […]
BCS Reports Huge Growth in Demand for IT Training
IT training and qualifications are going through a period of “unprecedented growth” according to the British Computer Society (BCS).The society believes that the threat of off-shoring and new skill sets needed by employers have contributed to demand.BCS chief executive David Clarke said that the industry is changing fast. “The Society’s view is that there has […]
Hilton University Proves its Worth
Hotel company Hilton International has found a significant link between employee development and reduced staff turnover. In a survey completed by 1,854 employees across all parts of Hilton International’s business worldwide, 37% felt that being offered development opportunities is the most important factor in them deciding to continue their career with Hilton. A further 50% […]
Parkin Space: The Prosumer Future for Learning
In an age when we people are becoming more pro-active in their Internet usage, Godfrey Parkin explains why the producer-consumer, or prosumer, model is ideal for e-learning. I have always been convinced that one key to future success in web-based learning lies in the notion of the prosumer. Prosumers produce what they consume, and it […]
Finalists Compete for IT Trainer of the Year Award
Four IT trainers are set to go forward to the final judging stage of the British Computer Society’s (BCS) third IT Professional Awards. The medallists for the IT Trainer of the Year Award are Richard Malam (Centrica), Andy Wright (Sysop Limited), Andrew Driver (Parity) and Darren Burford (QA). They will join 94 other medallists across […]
The Way I See It… The Investment Case for IT Training
Rick Marshall, MD of networking and communications infrastructure specialist Comunica plc, discusses the importance of ongoing development for existing IT employees, as well as the need to invest in the recruitment of new talent for the industry. According to a recent e-skills UK survey, 85% of IT employers reported that IT professionals within their organisation […]