South East Essex College opened a £52m technology centre in
Southend earlier this month and announced it is taking a new
approach to teaching IT skills.
City and Guilds, foundation degree, degree and supplier
qualification courses will put a strong emphasis on the softer
skills required by IT departments, including communication,
presentation and teamwork.
Technology centre manager Mark Waldron said, "What we teach is not
just IT but the whole support role for the business. Many of the
tutors have recently worked in industry, so they can bring in
anecdotes and experience from real life."
Supplier qualifications can be wrapped within City and Guilds IT
courses so they can attract government funding, making it cheaper
and more accessible for students, since they are taught at evenings
and weekends.
This means students can study for IT qualifications while they are
working, and unemployed students can take supplier qualifications
at no cost to themselves because they attract government
subsidies.
"They do not just do the MCSE, they study soft skills such as
customer service, support and project management," said
Waldron.
The college teaches foundation and degree courses in network
technology and internet technology. Foundation course students go
on a work placement, and degree students complete projects as part
of a team - reflecting the way most IT departments work, Waldron
said.