Profit in Prof IT Conference Initiative to Add Prestige to Technology Careers

The Prof IT 2006 Conference, in London, saw the launch of a new initiative to help promote I.T. expertise for the British Computer Society (BCS).

The IT Professionalism programme sees a new partnership between e-skills UK, Intellect and the National Computing Centre (NCC), which will seek to professionalize the I.T. industry. The partners in the initiative are working together to try to bring their practices into line and encourage knowledge sharing on I.T. issues. The partnership believes that efficient and integrated I.T. systems are the best way to compete with businesses on a global scale.

Scope of Goals

The primary goal of the IT Professionalism programme is to try to increase the level of professionalism within the I.T. sector and establish a recognised professional standard for I.T. staff. The Prof IT conference was used as a forum to promote the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry and encourage more people to consider a career as I.T. professionals.

The scope of the new programme is ambitious and seeks to make I.T. a more prestigious and attractive proposition, as a career option for the brightest students. More than one million people are currently working in the UK I.T. sector and barely a fraction of those are members of recognised bodies. There is also concern that the current system of qualifications and training are out of date and unsuitable for the present and future demands of UK business.

Research suggests that a whole new approach to I.T. education and training is required, with recognised professional qualifications seen as the way forward. The importance of quality I.T. and development to UK businesses cannot be fully estimated but it seems certain that for the UK to compete in a global market we must nurture and encourage talented individuals to consider careers in I.T., ensuring that these careers are as prestigious and rewarding as other, older professions, if not more so.

Dan Atkinson

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