If you are you will recall the changes that were made by CIW last year and how they split the certification - if not you may want to read the blog post Interested in Web Design (September 2010).
These changes have proved extremely popular with everybody here at Computeach. The development team have incorporated some of the Adobe ACE exams to the track and students are encouraged to create a portfolio of work along the way. This consolidation of skills has provided the hands-on element that had been missing and our students have created some great web-sites.
Our Careers team have been very keen to point out the added benefit of this when it comes to demonstrating skills adding that they are often asked if a candidate will be able to show some examples of their work.
It would be really good to have your thoughts on these changes so, please add your comments.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Thursday 24 November 2011
Going for Gold.....
....Well we did green a few weeks back and with the Olympics just around the corner I thought it was worth a little dig around to see what people think the impact will be in the IT industry.
According to Paul Winchester, managing director of Greythorn "The IT and telecoms infrastructure required to host the Olympics will leave a significant high-tech footprint on the UK labour market."
"Before the Olympics begin, emergency service lines need to be secured and WiFi coverage needs to be expanded, including an attempt to get Internet access across the tube network in time for the games - measures must also be taken to prevent cyber attacks."
While the IT infrastructure being developed for the Games may not be as well publicised as the stadiums being built and transport links being developed, it is definitely equally as impressive.
It is reported that Acer, the official sponsor for computing equipment for the London Games, is providing 9,000 desktop PCs 2,000 laptops 900 servers for use at the various Olympic venues, which gives an insight into just how big a role IT will play in the event.
At such a high profile event it is also imperative that every piece of equipment is well maintained and that any problems are dealt with immediately, which is why between 300 and 400 server specialists and desktop technicians will be on hand throughout the event.
According to Paul Winchester, managing director of Greythorn "The IT and telecoms infrastructure required to host the Olympics will leave a significant high-tech footprint on the UK labour market."
"Before the Olympics begin, emergency service lines need to be secured and WiFi coverage needs to be expanded, including an attempt to get Internet access across the tube network in time for the games - measures must also be taken to prevent cyber attacks."
While the IT infrastructure being developed for the Games may not be as well publicised as the stadiums being built and transport links being developed, it is definitely equally as impressive.
It is reported that Acer, the official sponsor for computing equipment for the London Games, is providing 9,000 desktop PCs 2,000 laptops 900 servers for use at the various Olympic venues, which gives an insight into just how big a role IT will play in the event.
At such a high profile event it is also imperative that every piece of equipment is well maintained and that any problems are dealt with immediately, which is why between 300 and 400 server specialists and desktop technicians will be on hand throughout the event.
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Friday 18 November 2011
Monday 14 November 2011
IT industry goes green
Talking to our Careers department here at Computeach they were keen to point out the importance of our students being able to demonstrate awareness of the industry and how it will develop in the future - after all, a new recruit you may be now, but your are also the future of the company.
If you are in the dark about how the future of IT looks, let me shed some light - it looks green.
By this, I mean data centre virtualisation, data centre power and cooling technologies, desktop virtualisation, printing and paper usage management and power management tools for PCs and monitors.
According to another study from Ovum, these areas will experience "significant growth" over the next few years, growing by 65%.
Almost three-quarters of chief information officers are already using green IT in their organisation, while a further 8% plan to do so before the end of next year, the research said.
Rhonda Ascierto, Ovum analyst and author of the research, explained: "This growth in green IT penetration reflects a change of attitude by CIO's and other IT decision-makers.
Previously, they considered green IT optional because they defined its value primarily in terms of corporate image, rather than the bottom line.
It is now viewed as core technology that delivers business value by cutting costs and increasing efficiency."
Ms Ascierto added that in the wake of the recession, many companies are looking for a financial return in an investment into green IT.
If you are in the dark about how the future of IT looks, let me shed some light - it looks green.
By this, I mean data centre virtualisation, data centre power and cooling technologies, desktop virtualisation, printing and paper usage management and power management tools for PCs and monitors.
According to another study from Ovum, these areas will experience "significant growth" over the next few years, growing by 65%.
Almost three-quarters of chief information officers are already using green IT in their organisation, while a further 8% plan to do so before the end of next year, the research said.
Rhonda Ascierto, Ovum analyst and author of the research, explained: "This growth in green IT penetration reflects a change of attitude by CIO's and other IT decision-makers.
Previously, they considered green IT optional because they defined its value primarily in terms of corporate image, rather than the bottom line.
It is now viewed as core technology that delivers business value by cutting costs and increasing efficiency."
Ms Ascierto added that in the wake of the recession, many companies are looking for a financial return in an investment into green IT.
Friday 11 November 2011
Is there a change in the way HR departments view temporary workers?
According to Gerry McLaughlin, from IT Contractor.com there has.
"Whereas previously IT contracting was highly cyclical and many contractors spent what they had built up in the good times during long spells out of work, it looks as if IT contracting has become a much safer profession," Mr McLaughlin said.
"Companies now see them as the enablers of cost cutting during a downturn as well as being core to the business during an upturn - so contractors now have an each way bet."
And let's not forget that obtaining temporary work with a company is a good way to show off your knowledge and skills, which could lead to a more permanent position.
Would you agree? I would really like your thoughts on this so, add your comments.
"Whereas previously IT contracting was highly cyclical and many contractors spent what they had built up in the good times during long spells out of work, it looks as if IT contracting has become a much safer profession," Mr McLaughlin said.
"Companies now see them as the enablers of cost cutting during a downturn as well as being core to the business during an upturn - so contractors now have an each way bet."
And let's not forget that obtaining temporary work with a company is a good way to show off your knowledge and skills, which could lead to a more permanent position.
Would you agree? I would really like your thoughts on this so, add your comments.
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Diversity in the IT Industry
Just reading a report on diversity in the IT industry and thought you might find it interesting.
Maggie Berry, from Women in Technology, said that more businesses need to be aware of the benefits of a diverse workforce, to make more opportunities for women.
"The majority of the women that we talk to do not want to see the introduction of quotas - they want to get the top jobs on their own merit and ability, not to make up numbers," Ms Berry said.
But she added that introducing targets would be a "positive move" to put pressure on business to change.
Ms Berry's comments followed research from InterExec which revealed that 65% of senior executive head hunters do not agree that firms should more than double the number of women on their executive boards by 2015, despite a recent Davies report recommending this move.
"Progress is a slow process, but we are moving forward. With more awareness about the benefits of diverse teams, changes to legislation and more flexible working, hopefully we will continue to see improvements when it come to women in IT, " Ms Berry concluded.
Another group which are sometimes overlooked are older workers, but according to Rachel Krys, director of Inclusive Employers, the best workforces are made up of both fresh-faced young employees and experienced old-hands.
"Older workers can have a real settling, calming effect on the whole workforce, but you also need the people with the fresh ideas - and that might be younger people, that might be older people, " she said.
"You need people with new thoughts. People who have not done it before are not restricted by past failures; people who have not failed before are much more willing to take a risk. You need that mix."
The eSkills report also points out that despite there being a shortfall in candidates, obtaining a job in the IT sector still requires skills to be refreshed on a regular basis, to keep up with developments in the industry.
Maggie Berry, from Women in Technology, said that more businesses need to be aware of the benefits of a diverse workforce, to make more opportunities for women.
"The majority of the women that we talk to do not want to see the introduction of quotas - they want to get the top jobs on their own merit and ability, not to make up numbers," Ms Berry said.
But she added that introducing targets would be a "positive move" to put pressure on business to change.
Ms Berry's comments followed research from InterExec which revealed that 65% of senior executive head hunters do not agree that firms should more than double the number of women on their executive boards by 2015, despite a recent Davies report recommending this move.
"Progress is a slow process, but we are moving forward. With more awareness about the benefits of diverse teams, changes to legislation and more flexible working, hopefully we will continue to see improvements when it come to women in IT, " Ms Berry concluded.
Another group which are sometimes overlooked are older workers, but according to Rachel Krys, director of Inclusive Employers, the best workforces are made up of both fresh-faced young employees and experienced old-hands.
"Older workers can have a real settling, calming effect on the whole workforce, but you also need the people with the fresh ideas - and that might be younger people, that might be older people, " she said.
"You need people with new thoughts. People who have not done it before are not restricted by past failures; people who have not failed before are much more willing to take a risk. You need that mix."
The eSkills report also points out that despite there being a shortfall in candidates, obtaining a job in the IT sector still requires skills to be refreshed on a regular basis, to keep up with developments in the industry.
Friday 4 November 2011
Could the IT Industry be right for you?
Well the view from my desk is a little gloomy now that the pumpkins have been removed but the outlook for our industry is certainly better.
Already 1.5 million people are employed in the IT industry, a figure which translates as every one in 20 people employed in the UK.
But while the sector may be expanding, IT employers are not hiring just anyone - they are looking for a high standards in employees.
A recent report by e-skills UK, Technology Insights 2011, predicted that the IT & Telecoms industry will grow by £50 billion over the next five to seven years. This is a growth of over two per cent per year, which is nearly five times faster than the UK average.
Mr Nott said that the UK is an important part of the IT industry, a point the e-skills report emphases, revealing that £81 billion of the UK's annual economy comes from the IT and Telecoms industry.
He also pointed out that last year saw an increase in demand for professionals.
And he added this demand will continue to rise.
So what can be done about this shortage? Langley James, and IT recruitment agency, believes that the answer lies with taking on more trainees in the sector.
"I would say companies need to look at bringing trainees in rather than expecting everybody to hit the ground running, " James Toovey, founder and director of Langley James, said. "That is one of the biggest problems with this industry and that is why there is continually a skills shortage - everybody wants somebody that has a couple of years experience using the latest technology."
He added that "new blood" - people coming into the industry with knowledge of social networking like Twitter and Facebook - would stand in good stead as they can display a knowledge of up-to-date technology.
Already 1.5 million people are employed in the IT industry, a figure which translates as every one in 20 people employed in the UK.
But while the sector may be expanding, IT employers are not hiring just anyone - they are looking for a high standards in employees.
A recent report by e-skills UK, Technology Insights 2011, predicted that the IT & Telecoms industry will grow by £50 billion over the next five to seven years. This is a growth of over two per cent per year, which is nearly five times faster than the UK average.
Mr Nott said that the UK is an important part of the IT industry, a point the e-skills report emphases, revealing that £81 billion of the UK's annual economy comes from the IT and Telecoms industry.
He also pointed out that last year saw an increase in demand for professionals.
And he added this demand will continue to rise.
So what can be done about this shortage? Langley James, and IT recruitment agency, believes that the answer lies with taking on more trainees in the sector.
"I would say companies need to look at bringing trainees in rather than expecting everybody to hit the ground running, " James Toovey, founder and director of Langley James, said. "That is one of the biggest problems with this industry and that is why there is continually a skills shortage - everybody wants somebody that has a couple of years experience using the latest technology."
He added that "new blood" - people coming into the industry with knowledge of social networking like Twitter and Facebook - would stand in good stead as they can display a knowledge of up-to-date technology.
Monday 31 October 2011
Friday 28 October 2011
To all our fellow Tweeps
It really has been a good week and I think we are finally getting the hang of Twitter and how it can help us keep in touch with Computeach students.
All the team are now signed up and merrily twittering little updates and tips - we have even had some great responses.
Our little community is growing........
All the team are now signed up and merrily twittering little updates and tips - we have even had some great responses.
Our little community is growing........
Thursday 27 October 2011
What about the darker side of social media.......
......how can IT professionals tackle the cyber attackers and spammers that will no doubt set their sights on this technology?
According to predictions from Kaspersky Lab, in the coming months there will be a surge in the number of spamming linked to new social networking sites such as Google+.
This follows a 'significant increase' in the amount of phishing attacks on Facebook in June this year, putting the social networking site third on the hit list of cyber attacks, behind eBay and PayPal.
"It is nothing new - we have seen it before and I think we see with anything where there is a huge amount of public interest, for example, when there's the release of a new iPhone, it is also massively abused by spam," explained Rik Ferguson, director of security, research and communication at Trend Micro.
Anything where there is unlimited availability and huge public interest is something that will encourage spam.
In years to come [social media] will be the dominant platform, without question. That is where the communication preferences are moving for users anyway - if you talk to anybody under the age of 25, email is almost certainly going to be their secondary or maybe even their third preferred form of communication.
Criminals follow the behaviour of consumers and if consumers are moving, as they are, to those alternate platforms, that is where the criminals will go.
So how do we tackle this? Well - that is up to you, the IT professionals.
You can see there is plenty of scope to make your name in the IT industry if you can show you have got your head around social media, as as many people use it personally, then you have got every change of making a career out of something you enjoy doing.
According to predictions from Kaspersky Lab, in the coming months there will be a surge in the number of spamming linked to new social networking sites such as Google+.
This follows a 'significant increase' in the amount of phishing attacks on Facebook in June this year, putting the social networking site third on the hit list of cyber attacks, behind eBay and PayPal.
"It is nothing new - we have seen it before and I think we see with anything where there is a huge amount of public interest, for example, when there's the release of a new iPhone, it is also massively abused by spam," explained Rik Ferguson, director of security, research and communication at Trend Micro.
Anything where there is unlimited availability and huge public interest is something that will encourage spam.
In years to come [social media] will be the dominant platform, without question. That is where the communication preferences are moving for users anyway - if you talk to anybody under the age of 25, email is almost certainly going to be their secondary or maybe even their third preferred form of communication.
Criminals follow the behaviour of consumers and if consumers are moving, as they are, to those alternate platforms, that is where the criminals will go.
So how do we tackle this? Well - that is up to you, the IT professionals.
You can see there is plenty of scope to make your name in the IT industry if you can show you have got your head around social media, as as many people use it personally, then you have got every change of making a career out of something you enjoy doing.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
So what sites were favoured by businesses?
Well Virgin Media Business has found that Facebook seems to be a favourite for retailers looking at how social networking can boost e-commerce, with 36% using it for business.
Twitter, on the other hand, was only used by 9% of the 500 retailers surveyed - perhaps this is an area for future growth.
What results have businesses seen since implementing social media into their technology? IMRG and eDigital research showed that two-thirds of e-commerce businesses and departments have increased their turnover since last year.
But the bottom line about social media is that it is still relatively new - as 70% only started using it in the last three years.
Tim Gibbon, director at Elemental, offered his advice to those who want to show a business that they can lead the social network revolution in their workplace.
"Social media has actually existed for quite some time now and this should be acknowledged, because there were certainly communities and socially driven environments before Facebook, Twitter, You Tube et al."
Mr Gibbon pointed out that social media has changed since it was first around, and so should businesses be prepared to: they will constantly need to evolve with this new technology.
"Balance and realism in what social environments can achieve is important in that just because businesses may have a presence, may participate, it doesn't mean it will yield the results expected".
"Indeed, quite the opposite can happen: when a business is not prepared with even a little understanding of the changing platforms, brand dilution is possible, " he warned.
Do you agree?
Twitter, on the other hand, was only used by 9% of the 500 retailers surveyed - perhaps this is an area for future growth.
What results have businesses seen since implementing social media into their technology? IMRG and eDigital research showed that two-thirds of e-commerce businesses and departments have increased their turnover since last year.
But the bottom line about social media is that it is still relatively new - as 70% only started using it in the last three years.
Tim Gibbon, director at Elemental, offered his advice to those who want to show a business that they can lead the social network revolution in their workplace.
"Social media has actually existed for quite some time now and this should be acknowledged, because there were certainly communities and socially driven environments before Facebook, Twitter, You Tube et al."
Mr Gibbon pointed out that social media has changed since it was first around, and so should businesses be prepared to: they will constantly need to evolve with this new technology.
"Balance and realism in what social environments can achieve is important in that just because businesses may have a presence, may participate, it doesn't mean it will yield the results expected".
"Indeed, quite the opposite can happen: when a business is not prepared with even a little understanding of the changing platforms, brand dilution is possible, " he warned.
Do you agree?
Tuesday 25 October 2011
Social Media - time to make your mark?
Social media really is a buzz word for technology at the moment and for anyone interested in an IT career research is key and that is exactly what I have been doing so, I thought (over the next few weeks) I would share some of my findings with you.
Whether it is looking at how social media can help businesses, how cyber crime will be targeting social network sites or how mobile web can be incorporated into this growing industry, there is plenty of opportunity in this fast growing market.
Reagus give a regional picture, showing that almost half (49%) of firms in Manchester are successfully winning new customers through social networking activity, while 55% are using it to engage with existing customers.
Then Prodkauer's International Labor and Employment Group, which looked at companies around the world, announced that over three-quarters are using social networking.
Give it a little thought - do a little research and tell us what sites you think were favoured by businesses.
Whether it is looking at how social media can help businesses, how cyber crime will be targeting social network sites or how mobile web can be incorporated into this growing industry, there is plenty of opportunity in this fast growing market.
Reagus give a regional picture, showing that almost half (49%) of firms in Manchester are successfully winning new customers through social networking activity, while 55% are using it to engage with existing customers.
Then Prodkauer's International Labor and Employment Group, which looked at companies around the world, announced that over three-quarters are using social networking.
Give it a little thought - do a little research and tell us what sites you think were favoured by businesses.
Wednesday 5 January 2011
Happy New Year
Christmas was great (too much food but good to spend time with family) and New Year hectic (too many late nights and too much drink but good to spend time with friends) and those New Year resolutions….one of the reasons I think the desk next to me is piled high with left over goodies. So, if your in-centre let me know – I’m happy to share.
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