Computing and Information Technology

Information technology has been defined as: ‘The study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.’ It deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information, securely. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases.

Some 1.5 million IT practitioners in the UK work in 100,000 IT companies and as specialists in other organisations as well as 4 million managers and leaders who need to understand how to realise the potential of IT, and 21 million people who use IT in their day-to-day work. Around 70,000 ICT professionals look to change jobs at any one time. Recent industry figures show that:

• 20% of recruiters are having difficulty finding people with the right skills/qualifications/experience
• Over the next five years, the UK will require more than 140,000 new IT and telecoms professionals per year, most of them entering high level roles
• Around half of these will be experienced workers transferring in from other occupations. Around 20% will be direct from education
• IT professionals will increasingly require a broad range of technical, business and communications skills
• More than 77% of the UK’s total workforce needs IT skills. Over the coming years, they will require these skills at increasingly advanced levels
• Only 18% of the IT professional workforce is female, down from 22% in 2001.

Most jobs, particularly the ones working with customers, need goodinterpersonal skills, team workingand problem solvingability. All have technical content, ranging from the in-depth skills of a software developer through to roles that may need much less detailed knowledge. Some typical roles are:

• business analyst
• help desk operator
• trainer
• software developer
• technical author
• technician
• engineer
• web designer.

Computing and IT in the Services

Each Service has its ‘expert’ IT staff; they will know exactly who they are and where their particular skill set might lead. They are generally found in the specialist communications, administrative and electronics branches, although there may be some people serving outside those areas who have a considerable expertise.

Others will have specialised in computing and/or electronics but only as part of their career pattern. They are still likely to have a number of very transferable and marketable skills, but they may need to be targeted in a particular area, or improved or widened in the period before leaving.

Computing and IT on leaving the Services

There is a great deal of computing and IT training available through the resettlement system. Preferred suppliers and other training providers offer a wide variety of courses in this field; while industry advice is for Service leavers to gain as much academic knowledge as possible while still serving that can be enhanced by practical training during the resettlement period. Knowledge can be developed through self-study, academic qualifications through a college, and an industry placement nearer discharge.

Career changers will have to learn to use specific applications or languages. How much formal training is required will depend on the new career path and individual experiences and aptitude. Options available, range from conversion courses to work placements. Some companies only recruit experienced staff who have already been working in the industry, but most will take on people new to the industry. Many will take new recruits with little or no technical knowledge and offer training, provided they have other valued skills, and show they are enthusiastic and capable of learning. To increase the chances of getting a good job, individuals should aim to show these attributes through work experience connected to ICT, or a course or qualification in an ICT or business-related subject. And they should develop and demonstrate key skills, like communications and problem solving.

Computing and IT qualifications

Academic qualifications provide a thorough grounding in the principles that will be highly relevant for future training, although much of the detail will rapidly become out-of-date. There are also both generic and vendor-specific qualifications. Generic ones certify achievements in the general field of computing and IT, while vendor-specific ones demonstrate a level of expertise in one manufacturer’s products. Many people hold both and even a portfolio of qualifications in the products of different manufacturers to be able to operate across boundaries and across equipments.

Generic qualifications include academic courses. Degrees (Foundation or higher), HNDs or HNCs, are all highly valued, with the theoretical knowledge involved always being relevant. Degrees tend to be in Computer Science with HNDs and HNCs in Software Engineering. An A-Level or GCSE in Computer Studies might be the academic starting point for the beginner. NVQs (Levels 1 to 5) and Apprenticeships are available, based on sector-approved National Occupational Standards, but some employers may not be very familiar with them, and some other qualifications may be more useful. Vocational A-levels as well as GNVQs may also be taken – usually through colleges – and these can provide a job-orientated qualification with a strong academic element. The experience gained in acquiring these qualifications will be valuable in finding employment.

e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council, is launching a development programme to fast-track the careers of new IT professionals. This Masters-level programme has been designed with employers and will be delivered through universities and participating employers. It has also now produced a draft training framework – the IT professional Competency Model – for the IT profession from employers and other stakeholders. This will be an industry-recognised, internationally relevant training framework for organising courses and qualifications in the disciplines of the IT profession. The Skills Framework for the Information Age is a common reference model for the identification of the skills needed to develop effective information systems making use of ICT.

The Comp TIA has more than members in more than 100 countries and runs a series of certifications, which are credentials achieved through a testing process to validate knowledge within a specific IT support function. All their exams are developed by subject matter experts, and the certifications are recognized throughout the industry as foundation-level skill sets. These qualifications are widely recognised and may also form modules in other ICT awards and programmes. More than 900,000 CompTIA certifications have been earned worldwide.

The British Computer Society (BCS) has over 65,000 members in more than 100 countries and is a qualifying body for Chartered IT Professionals. It has its own exam structure:

· European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) teaching students to use word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, internet and e-mail and other important aspects of computers (now also developed into an advanced ECDL and one that concentrates on computer-aided design). Other user qualifications include:

- E-Citizen qualifications that cover the basic use of e-mail and the Internet

- E-type to develop keyboard skills

- Equalskills for the absolute IT beginner

- IT Qualifications to enable people to develop IT skills in the workplace

· ISEB qualifications which provide industry-recognized qualifications that measure competence, ability and performance in many areas of IT

· BCS Professional Exams which, at their highest level, take students to the academic level of a UK University honours degree and acknowledge practical experience and academic ability.

Professional vendors qualifications are training and exams in a specific manufacturer’s products. The manufacturer should be a major supplier in the industry for its qualifications to have value, and the qualification that is so valuable today may have less value tomorrow if the manufacturer goes out of business or there is a major change in technology.

Microsoft qualifications are perhaps the best known, with the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer consisting of a number of exam passes, any one of which entitles the individual to be a registered Microsoft Certified Professional. The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator is also available, with their equivalent at the front end – programmes that interface with the user – being the Microsoft Certified Systems Developer. But Microsoft is not the only manufacturer on the market and other big players like Novell (Certified Novell Engineer and Certified Novell Administrator) and CISCO also have their own qualifications.

Employment in computing and IT

Obtaining employment is inevitably a combination of:

• qualifications
• experience
• networking
• work placements
• the right CV
• going for the right job.

People entering similar employment to the one they had in the Forces may well start at the same level; those going into an unrelated field will probably start further down the ladder. Once into a company the employment possibilities are enormous in this expanding and changing industry. Permanent employment is often regarded as lasting three to five years, and people commonly change employer every two years or so. In-house training is often provided, and good people can achieve rapid promotion.

Salary expectations vary hugely from one company and contract to another. A relatively unskilled employee might earn from £12,000 to £18,000, a technician (engineer or analyst) £25,000 to £35,000, a manager (user, data, support), £35,000 to £45,000 and a head of services anything from £60,000 upwards.

Sources of information

e-skills UK, 1 Castle Lane, London, SW1E 6DR, Tel: 020 7963 8920 Website: www.e-skills.com

Computing Technology Industry Association, 5th Floor, CityTower, 40 Basinghall Street, London, EC2V 5DE Tel: 020 7330 6060 Website: www.comptia.org

British Computer Society, 1st Floor, Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FA,Tel: 0845 300 4417 Website: www.bcs.org.uk