Larry Hirst, general manager of IBM UK and Ireland, has
been appointed chairman of E-Skills UK, the organisation set up to
improve the UK's IT skills base.
E-Skills UK is the national skills council for IT, telecoms and
contact centres. It brings together the government, employers and
the education sector with the aim of improving skills and boosting
productivity.
The organisation oversees a number of projects, including computer
clubs for girls and the web-based E-Skills Passport Service. It is
also involved in the development of the new IT management for
business BSc degree, which will be piloted in 2005 and then offered
by UK universities.
Executives and senior IT directors from firms such as Accenture,
Dell, John Lewis, Morgan Stanley and Sainsbury's already sit on
E-Skills UK's three employer boards.
l In the same week that Hirst was appointed chairman of E-Skills
UK, firms in the IT sector were being encouraged to enter the 2004
National Training Awards.
The awards, which are managed by UK Skills on behalf of the
Department for Education and Skills, recognise people and
organisations that have developed new skills and reward excellence
in training.
Last year's awards attracted more than 1,000 entries from a range
of industries. Winners in the IT and telecoms sector included BT
and Nortel Networks' Belfast Lab.
The deadline for entries to this year's National Training Awards is
30 April
www.nationaltrainingawards.com/