In the UK today, most companies would be severely hampered without assistance from support workers fixing PC’s and networks, while making recommendations to users on a regular basis each week. Due to the progressively daunting complexities of technology, growing numbers of competent professionals are required to dedicate themselves to the many areas we need to be sure will work effectively.
Most of us would love to think that our careers are safe and our future is protected, but the growing likelihood for the majority of jobs throughout Great Britain today seems to be that security may be a thing of the past.
We’re able though to reveal security at market-level, by looking for areas in high demand, mixed with a shortage of skilled staff.
Taking the IT industry for instance, a key e-Skills survey highlighted a skills gap around the country around the 26 percent mark. Meaning that for each 4 job positions available around the computer industry, there are barely three qualified workers to perform that task.
Properly qualified and commercially grounded new workers are consequently at a resounding premium, and it’s estimated to remain so for many years longer.
Because the IT sector is growing at such a speed, there really isn’t any other market worth looking at for retraining.
Many trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. Obviously, this isn’t much fun and isn’t the best way to go about achieving retention.
Long-term memory is enhanced when we use multiple senses – learning experts have been saying this for as long as we can remember.
Modern training can now be done at home via self-contained CD or DVD materials. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll learn your subject via their teaching and demonstrations. Then you test your knowledge by using practice-lab’s.
Don’t take any chances and look at some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you purchase a course. You should expect instructor-led video demonstrations and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.
Avoid training that is purely online. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where possible, enabling them to be used at your convenience – you don’t want to be reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
If an advisor doesn’t ask many questions – the likelihood is they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and current experience level, then you know it’s true.
With a bit of work-based experience or qualifications, you may find that your starting point is not the same as someone new to the industry.
For students commencing IT study from scratch, it can be helpful to break yourself in gently, starting with some basic PC skills training first. Usually this is packaged with any educational course.
It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees – they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you get carried away with this so-called guarantee, consider this:
You’ll be charged for it ultimately. One thing’s for sure – it isn’t free – they’ve just worked it into the package price.
It’s well known in the industry that if students pay for each examination, when they’re ready to take them and not before, there’s a much better chance they’ll pass every time – since they’ll think of their payment and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.
Go for the best offer you can find at the time, and hang on to your cash. You’ll also be able to choose where to do the examinations – so you can choose somewhere closer to home.
Paying in advance for exams (plus interest – if you’re financing your study) is a false economy. Why fill a company’s coffers with your hard-earned cash just to give them a good cash-flow! Many will hope you won’t get round to taking them – so they get to keep the extra funds.
Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams with companies with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests to make sure they think you’re going to pass.
Average exam fees were approximately 112 pounds last year via UK VUE or Prometric centres. So what’s the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to get ‘Exam Guarantees’, when any student knows that the responsible approach is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
Author: Scott Edwards. Try Dreamweaver Training or www.AdobeCS3TrainingUK.co.uk.
