Most matriculants are currently selecting a tertiary institution to further their studies, or trying to work out a career path. Madelise Grobler, MD of JSE-listed CS Holdings` Education Solutions division, one of the leading IT education institutions in the country, points out some of the pitfalls:
The IT industry is a favourite target for young school-leavers, since the word is out that exceptionally lucrative careers can be had in especially high-level management positions in selected fields of IT such as general IT management, enterprise resource planning and Y2K.
However, there is great scope for career growth in areas of IT such as help desk, IT support, Internet, training and networking.
And herein lies the first lesson for both parents and their offspring who are trying to decide which IT training company to go for:
The vaunted MCSEs (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) which were so in demand a year ago have flooded the market and are not in demand any more by employers. Nor will this qualification in itself offer a career path to senior positions in IT. The MCSE is a good starting point but consideration must be given to emerging and new technologies in the IT market for which skilled staff will be needed down the line, such as webmaster training, and in-depth Novell, Lotus or Cisco, or programming diplomas. Also, the new Microsoft Windows 2000 curriculum is showing promise, focusing specifically on server technology. These qualifications require on-the-job experience, and prospective trainees need to look for companies which will incorporate the practice as well as application into their training.
Not surprisingly, in the IT industry the planners, sales executives and critical decision-makers are paid more than the doers. So eventually, technical skills need to be backed up with business qualifications. Ideally, you should pick a training company which can offer the full scope of training - from the basics, through programming, to advanced business skills such as systems design and analysis, e-supply chain management, financial management and project management.
Companies are not looking only for people with the right certificates in hand. To do Sales, for instance, you need in-depth product knowledge and people skills. And those you will only get through experience. And of course you need a job to get experience. In this Catch22- situation, many companies have put in-house training schemes in place for the promotion and development of their own staff members, and have advocated learnership or internship schemes for first-time employees to give them the necessary operational exposure. Companies can thus invest in the IT skills of their employees while allowing them to gain experience, and simultaneously employing them usefully and not running the risk of the employee succumbing to a headhunt. Most companies have a need for people with more than three years working experience, therefore a long-term learnership contract is a prudent solution to the problem of gaining experience.
In order not to get led astray by hot-shot training companies promising fast training and big bucks in future careers, you need to consider the training methods as well as the assessment procedures used by your training provider. Are your needs and prior knowledge properly assessed before training? Is the training ITA-recognised and SAQA aligned and certified? Is the qualification as true indication of what you can do? Does the assessment test your practical skills? In other words, is your qualification worth more than the paper it is written on? Is the training you receive really going to prepare you for survival in the real world? * * IT training is expensive, so you need to look for reputable institutions with a scientific approach to training, and a focus on the IT industry as a whole. And such institutions are not necessarily the cheapest. Significantly cheaper training can be a result of taking shortcuts on the training materials or duration, which does not benefit the student.
Finally, before matriculants venture blithely into the IT industry with their head full of silicone dreams and their parents lay down their hard-earned money for training - they should think carefully and not get taken in by all the hype. But all things considered, the IT world is still the very best place to make a living!
Share