IT training companies are reporting their first signs of
growth for three years as companies invest in new systems and begin
major roll-outs.
IT Skills Research said the growth index for training companies has
reached 70 on a scale of zero to 100 this year, showing that
spending on IT training is on its way up.
"Organisations are upskilling for forthcoming projects, which might
include those that were backlogged over the past two or three
years," said IT Skills Research director David Pardo.
A rising demand for training in management skills provides further
evidence that companies are gearing up to invest more in IT, he
said.
Richard Chappell, managing director of training provider Learning
Tree, said there was a "genuine and tangible" upturn in demand.
"One of our most popular courses is project management, so clearly
companies are giving projects the green light. They are gearing up
their technical staff," he said.
Barbara Greenway, managing director of training firm Parity, has
also seen rising demand for project management and service
management training - an indication that companies are preparing
for project roll-outs.
Although demand for technical training has fluctuated from month to
month, overall there has been an upward trend, she said.
"It looks like IT departments are beginning to invest in new
systems. In the first quarter of the year there was a much larger
number of requirements for training issued than for the same time
last year. And we are also seeing much more training for new
systems," said Greenway.
Website development, SQL Server, Windows 2000/2003 and security
skills are in high demand, said Learning Tree.
Finance companies are among those spending more on training, as are
telecoms suppliers, including BT and Nortel, which are stepping up
spending on training after a heavy telecoms slump, said Parity.