Funded in partnership with the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership as part of the DCMS Digital Skills Innovation fund, the innovative blended programme, IT-Ready, will offer free technical training to help adults launch their careers in IT. The programme takes a hybrid classroom approach, aimed to deliver IT training to those with commitments who might not otherwise have the time to up-skill. Training can take place around students’ busy schedule, making it an ideal option for working mums, those on Zero Hour contracts and even those in full-time employment whose jobs are at risk of redundancy because of automation.
Graham Hunter, VP Skills Certifications, CompTIA said: “The UK tech industry is booming and we now boast more than 165,000 core IT job roles. However, only about one in 10 of these roles are actually getting filled. With IT-Ready, we are helping more adults get the training they need to boost their career, earn family-sustaining salaries and boost the UK’s digital economy.”
IT-Ready students will receive free training across necessary tech and soft skills, learning materials, and certification vouchers. They learn technical skills to help them successfully pass both parts of the CompTIA A+ certification. Students will also receive professional development training to help them refine highly sought-after business skills such as communication, conflict management and critical thinking, to help them secure a job from day one. Graduates of the programme will be able to apply both technical and professional skills to any role they achieve.
Kerry Harrison, Regional Coordinator for the Lancashire Local Digital Skills Partnership, commented: “This initiative offers a fantastic opportunity for local people and businesses alike to boost their digital potential. The proposed flexible delivery model will allow a greater range of people to access the training by fitting around their current employment or caring responsibilities. We’re looking forward to working with CompTIA to drive digital skills in Lancashire and improve the employment prospects in the thriving digital sector.”
Interested adults can visit www.creatingitfutures.org/lancashire by 21st February 2020 to enrol in the IT-Ready hybrid course and the programme begins on 7th March 2020. Physical classroom workshops will be held at Cotton Court Business Centre, Church Street, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 3BY and online training will be delivered using an industry standard platform.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a UK citizen or permanent resident and have 4 GCSEs (including Maths and English) or equivalent. No prior experience in tech is necessary, but a love of technology, a strong level of commitment and a drive to succeed are extremely important.
Creating IT Futures developed IT-Ready in 2012, and CompTIA UK Ltd staff will work with local employers to hire IT-Ready graduates in Lancashire. Within four months of graduating, 85 percent of IT-Ready students typically are working in a paid IT role with local area companies, earning £16,000 – £18,000 annually. Graduates move into help desk tech roles, building and maintaining a business’s IT environment and assisting its internal and external customers.
