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IT training: Righting the imbalance

The IT sector is working towards alleviating the problem of improperly trained IT graduates.
By Damian Clarkson, ITWeb junior journalist
Johannesburg, 05 Jan 2004

The IT sector is working towards alleviating the problem of improperly trained IT graduates. Government, the business sector and training institutions aim to provide more practical training to IT graduates, better equipping them to enter the working environment.

Statistics show there are a large number of students entering training institutions to study IT-related courses. Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI) accepted 110 new students this year, while more than 80 students enrolled for a BSc from the University of South Africa through MGI.

Boston City Campus and Business College reports that interest in the IT field of study is greater than any other faculty, and has a high number of enrolments.

Mahomed Moolla, science and IT faculty head at MGI, says one reason for IT being such a popular field of study is because of a common misconception. "Some people think that any IT certificate or diploma will guarantee them a job that pays well."

Corn'e van Biljon, MD of software engineering company Gendac, says: "It is a result of money - people perceive the IT industry as one with a lot of it, and want to get into it easily."

Some people think that any IT certificate or diploma will guarantee them a job that pays well.

Mahomed Moolla, science and IT faculty head, Midrand Graduate Institute

Adrian Schofield, president of the Information Industry of SA, says it is important that students obtain recognised qualifications. "Many students study for a few months at training institutions to obtain a certificate, but the truth is these qualifications are generally insufficient."

While graduates from universities generally find employment easily - Moolla says 75% of last year`s IT graduates had an IT-related job within four months - people studying at fly-by-night institutions are struggling to find positions.

Susan Haiden, client development manager at recruitment company Insource, says the recruitment of university graduates could be as high as 90% to 95%. "If you`ve got good IT skills and training, you will find a job."

Haiden agrees that the people really struggling to find jobs are those who studied at less reputable institutions. "There is too little demand for lower level networking positions, simply because there are so many people applying. Most of these people have not been properly trained."

This creates a build-up in the industry of improperly qualified people.

The right skills

<B>Software company trains PDIs</B>

Sybase SA has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as CS Holdings to train 20 previously disadvantaged individuals (PDIs).
Students selected were mainly grade 12, technikon or college students who were previously unable to continue their studies.
The course comprises of an eight-month software development programme followed by four months of practical workplace experience. Students will complete the course at the end of August 2004.
Arnel Taute, training manager at Sybase SA, says the students are assured of finding positions upon completion of the course. "Part of the agreement with the DTI is that we find places for the students. We are visiting clients at the moment to find positions."
The programme would assist Sybase clients in complying with their own employment equity plans. "We understand that all corporates are under pressure to appoint PDIs and comply with BEE quotas, but the reality is that the supply of skilled PDIs is not sufficient. Programmes such as these can address this problem," says Taute.

In order to regulate entrance into the IT field of study, as well as course content, both government and training institutions have put certain measures in place.

The passing of the Skills Development Act and Skills Levies Act have succeeded in reducing the number of questionable training companies offering inappropriate or unaccredited IT training.

Various training institutions such as MGI have dropped some IT courses from their curricula. "We noticed that our MCSE and MCSD graduates were struggling to find employment, so we no longer offer those courses," says Moolla.

"Also, more stringent entry requirements have been put into place for next year, so we expect the number of eligible entrants into the IT field to decline slightly."

Course material for IT students has also been altered to make the work more practical.

There is no better exposure to reinforce the learning process than to perform and execute tasks that form part of the real work environment.

Izane Cloete, marketing director, Luso

The Council of Higher Learning has advocated the implementation of vocational degrees, says Jenny Blake, regulatory affairs manager at MGI. "Obviously students will still be taught the theoretical knowledge, but the focus on practical training will be a lot stronger."

Blake says there is a growing focus on outcomes-based education by training institutions. As a result, companies are now starting to focus more on what the student knows rather than where they studied, she says.

Training institutions such as Luso Computer Institute and Boston are now offering more practical training as part of their courses.

Izane Cloete, marketing director of Luso, says there is a great need for practical training. "As an IT professional you cannot be a clock-watcher and must have a sense of urgency, meet deadlines and be on standby when needed.

<B>Tips for job-seeking IT graduates</B>

IT graduates should not see themselves as mere reactionaries in the IT job market. Many steps can be taken to ensure themselves of lasting employment, says Susan Haiden, client development manager at Insource.
Getting an early start on a job search is one of the most important things to do. "Most IT companies complete their strategy planning in the latter stages of the year and begin interviewing immediately for the new year. Those graduates who wait until January or February to begin their job searches may miss the boat," says Haiden.
She adds that preparedness is a big boost. Researching the IT industry, contacting recruitment companies, talking to people involved in the industry and searching the Internet will all help graduates to decide what specifically they are looking for in a job.
While it is important to set goals, Haiden says it is also necessary to be flexible when entering the IT field. The first job is just an entry into an industry that can offer long-term career prospects, she says.
Making the right impression at job interviews is the final step, says Haiden. "Most IT companies have an informal dress code, and an interview is your first chance to create the right impression - arriving in your varsity uniform of board shorts and slops will not win you many points!"

"There is no better exposure to reinforce the learning process than to perform and execute tasks that form part of the real work environment."

Boston, in conjunction with Calivery Technologies, provides IT students with work experience. "The students will have a half-day of studies, followed by a half-day of work, where they will deal with [Calivery Technologies`] clients," says Susie Fairweather, communications consultant at Boston.

Only the Orange Grove and Bedford View branches are currently offering this type of training, but Fairweather says this should be offered at additional outlets soon. "It will have a knock-on effect. If the courses are a success there will be more initiatives opening at other branches."

Teaching the trade

The business sector is also becoming more involved in the training of IT graduates. Companies are increasingly feeling the need to fulfil their black economic employment (BEE) requirements, while at the same time finding properly trained IT professionals to hire.

MGI`s Blake explains: "Companies have bought into the idea of training students. At the end of the day, they are the students` future employers, so they have a vested interest."

Moolla adds that there is an increasing number of companies approaching training institutions to recruit previously disadvantaged individuals (PDI).

Gendac is among a growing number of companies, like Sybase SA and Calivery Technologies, which are involved with recruiting students from training institutions. "We do visit universities with the view to hiring students," says Van Biljon.

According to Schofield, the amount of learnerships is on the rise. "In the case of the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Sector Education and Training Authority (ISETT SETA), there were very few learnerships on the go last year. Now there are close to 2 000 learnerships, and the sector requisite of 3 500 is expected to be reached in the not too distant future."

Companies have bought into the idea of training students. At the end of the day, they are the students future employers, so they have a vested interest.

Jenny Blake, regulatory affairs manager, Midrand Graduate Institute

However, even though there is an oversupply of inadequately trained IT applicants at entry level, there is a gulf of vacant posts at the other end. Van Biljon says there is a noted lack of various higher-ranking IT positions, particularly qualified C++ technicians, as well as Java.net technicians.

Schofield says trained IT technicians who have emigrated to other countries have worsened the problem.

It is a problem that is unlikely to be solved overnight, but rather through time and training, he says: "It could take anything up to five years, because people genuinely take that long to get all the right skills."

With the rise in learnerships taking place, there is a desire to provide the learners not just with short-term training, but to empower the learners, says Mary Woudberg, learnership co-ordinator at ISETT SETA: "We do not want people to simply go from one learnership to the next, but rather to provide them with skills they can take with them. We hope for them to be entrepreneurs."

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