In a bid to address levels of professionalism in the ICT industry, the Computer Society of SA (CSSA) has launched a new post-graduate qualification.
Tony Parry, executive director of the CSSA, says the society's new Computer Professionals Education Programme (CPEP) is aimed at assisting people with hard IT skills to develop their broader business insight.
Skills will be one of the central focus areas of CSSA for the next year, he says. "The trend is towards talent management. It's about attracting, retaining and developing ICT skills."
The CPEP qualification is a 16-month course that focuses on ethics, new technology alignment, IT and business strategies, as well as service management.
It is presented in partnership with the Australian Computer Society, and is aimed at individuals with at least one tertiary qualification and 18 months' work experience in ICT.
The CSSA recently held its annual conference in Johannesburg and, according to Parry, the past year was one of consolidation for the body. Now it is embarking on "a new push" to attract and retain members, and promote in-depth knowledge of the use of ICTs.
To this end, the society is also embarking on a "Life-Long Learning" programme, where professionals in the field can attend CSSA courses and earn credits towards a continuous learning certificate.
"This is adding to existing professional knowledge," says Parry.
The society will also be increasingly lobbying government and industry to promote the ICT development agenda.
However, Parry is quick to point out that the CSSA would not be stepping into the empty position of an umbrella body for the industry, as it represents mainly individuals and not companies.
According to him, a significant number of the society's members are employed in ICT posts outside the IT sector.
Related stories:
Body seeks PIAC representation
Share