Where can you go to get details of IT training providers that you
can depend on?
The local government IT directors' society Socitm became embroiled
in a row last week, when a senior training consultant accused the
group of putting profits before the interests of its members.
Tim Dawes severed his training contract with Socitm, claiming he
was put under pressure to use Socitm training courses to subtly
promote the society's consulting work.
The case is more than simply an internal row between Socitm
officials. It illustrates a wider question for IT directors: where
can they go to find good quality, independent advice on IT
training?
The sheer number of commercial training courses on offer paints a
bewildering picture for IT departments. Training companies, private
colleges, and universities, bombard IT departments with literature.
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of cowboy organisations.
Computer Weekly regularly receives letters from readers who have
parted with thousands of pounds for courses that are either
unsuitable, or provide them with qualifications that have little or
no value in the jobs market.
As yet, there is no UK-wide system of accreditation for IT courses,
and no central point where IT directors can turn for advice for
training their staff. However, many professional institutions -
such as the British Computer Society (BCS) and the Institute for
the Management of Information Systems (IMIS) - run accreditation
schemes for training courses which fit within their professional
development programmes.
Software and hardware suppliers also accredit training companies
that offer high-quality training in supplier qualifications. They
can be a useful starting point in the search for a good training
provider.
Charles Croft, people and process manager at Woolworths, says that
suppliers are often his first port of call for advice about good
training programmes for the group's IT staff.
"We tend to try to identify organisations that are accredited by
the supplier. For example, if we want to send staff on RPG [Report
Program Generator] training we will go back to IBM and ask for a
list of accredited training companies."
IMIS, for example, a registered charity, is forbidden in its
articles from recommending particular training organisations. But
the institute gives exemptions from professional examinations to
members who have completed recognised training courses. It keeps
lists of the training courses that qualify for these
exemptions.
"If we give a training course an exemption, it's going to be pretty
good," said Ian Rickwood, chief executive of IMIS. "But, if we have
not given an exemption, it does not necessarily mean it's a bad
course - it just may not fit in with our syllabus."
Similarly, the British Computer Society has an accreditation system
for training courses that are suitable for BCS examinations. It
also invites commercial training companies which contribute to the
BCS' professional development scheme, to sign a code of conduct.
These companies could be a useful starting point for anyone looking
for a reliable training provider.
"The aim of the code is to make sure training companies do not lead
people astray. To give them a warm feeling; what you sign up for is
what you get," said John Chapman, vice-president of the BCS skills
board.
The London Internet Exchange (Linx), which represents ISPs could
also be another useful source of advice. Linx has decided to set up
its own accreditation scheme that will register universities and
private training companies that offer training that meets the need
of ISPs. The aim of the project, said training officer, Hugh
Spencer, is to make it easier for ISPs to find skilled staff.
"Linx members want to be able to take on people who have just
graduated without having to do a vast amount of re-training," he
said. "What happens now is that if companies need a network
engineer they poach someone from another company. It's like musical
chairs."
The UK's public-private IT skills and training partnership, the
E-skills National Training Organisation (NTO), would like to see
the idea of accredited courses expanded across the UK.
The NTO's three-year strategic plan, published earlier this year,
proposes a UK-wide system of kitemarks for course contents,
trainers and training organisations.
Karen Price, chief executive of the E-skills NTO, acknowledges that
with so many training providers, professional bodies and partial
accreditation schemes out there already, reaching a consensus will
not be easy.
Price is deliberately cautious. "There may be a role for E-skills
NTO to work in partnership with existing accreditation
organisations, to bring them into a framework. I am not suggesting
that E-skills NTO should re-invent the wheel," she said.
As a first step, E-skills NTO plans to test-drive a new
qualification for IT trainers. To qualify, trainers will have to
show that they are capable of teaching, have a good general IT
knowledge and in-depth specialist knowledge of the subject they are
teaching.
"It is going to help employers and individuals as well as trainers.
Individuals will be confident they are being trained by recognised
people and gain recognised qualifications. That will also benefit
employers," said Christine Donnelly, who is co-ordinating the
project at E-skills NTO.
If past experience is a guide, creating a national accreditation
scheme for IT training will not be easy. Philip Virgo, strategic
adviser to IMIS, says that previous attempts at creating a national
accreditation programme have failed.
In 1994 IMIS and BCS tried to create an independent accreditation
scheme for training providers which offered courses for the
professional bodies' continued professional development programmes.
Only one IT training firm, Learning Tree, was willing to pay for
accreditation.
"At the time most of the training companies were concerned with the
high cost of accreditation for Microsoft, Cisco and Novell. What
they wanted was an independent body to soften up the suppliers [in
the hope they would reduce their prices for accreditation]. Once
they had that they lost interest," he said.
For the moment, one of the best ways of finding a good training
provider is by word-of-mouth recommendations. "Ask your fellow IT
directors who they found was any good," said Virgo.
Woolworth's asks all its employees to fill in assessment forms when
they come back from training courses. If the feedback is positive,
Woolworth's will use the same training company again. "We have only
had one bad experience - a course on neuro linguistic programming
where the delivery of the course involved using confrontational
words we would not use in our organisation," said Clark.
You could also ask to see copies of student's assessment sheets.
"Look at what the sheets ask about and how they are used. Pick one
or two students and check that they are genuine, and ask what their
employer thought after the event," said Virgo.
Look out for Investors in People and other kitemarks which indicate
that training providers take quality control seriously. However,
there are no guarantees. It really is a case of buyer beware.
How to find a good IT training provider
1. Ask other IT directors about their experiences. Which
training companies and courses would they recommend?
2. Test out training courses by sending a couple of staff on
them first. Ask them to fill in assessment forms afterwards.
3. Choose courses that not only teach the theory, but also
give candidates the opportunity to apply the theory, either on
placements or in real-life scenarios.
4. Look out for Investors in People and other kitemark
standards. Although they offer no guarantees, they suggest that an
organisation takes quality control seriously.
5. Ask to see the training companies' student assessment
forms. Select a few at random and follow them up by speaking to the
students and their employers.
Bill Goodwin
bill.goodwin@rbi.co.uk