Employers Enthusiastic About New IT Training Org.

11 December 2001

Employers Enthusiastic About New IT Training Organisation

Employers are welcoming new national IT training organisation Information Technology Institute (ITI), saying the unique way its programmes integrate practical training and work projects with businesses will make it a good source for recruiting staff.

With the first intake of students planned early in the New Year, ITI (www.iti.co.nz) will fast-track students with arts, science or business degrees into IT jobs by providing them with three months intensive practical training followed by six months working on a ‘real time’ project with a local employer.

Managing Director Chris Mitchell says ITI is the only New Zealand IT training organisation offering work projects with business partners – who will also be involved in the student selection process.

He says the calibre of companies signing up to be ITI business partners is excellent.

Peter Nathan, Managing Director of Comacc Ltd (www.comacc.co.nz), one of
New Zealand’s leading suppliers of computerised people management systems and until recently President of the New Zealand Software Association, says ITI will fill a gap in the market. As an ITI business partner, he perceives many benefits to students and employers.

“The ITI students who will work with us will complete some really valuable, practical projects that we normally wouldn’t be able to take our staff off core work to do,” says Mr Nathan.

“We also see ITI as being a source of new IT staff for Comacc. We find that if we take students straight from university it takes so long to make them have any value as employees.

“ITI will fill a gap in the marketplace – it’s taking people with the intellectual capacity and then giving them some practical-hands-on experience. As employees they’ll become useful a lot quicker and because they are also graduates in other disciplines, they’ll bring new ideas and innovation into a company.”

Mr Nathan says there is a growing demand for qualified IT staff, and he says it’s an industry offering an increasing number of well-paid career options.

Wellington based CWA New Media (www.cwa.co.nz), a web design and development company specialising in education and e-government, is another ITI business partner that sees the programme as being a good source for recruiting new staff.

Director David Copeland says ITI has put a great deal of thought into fitting its education and training package with the needs of industry today.

“The thing that strikes me is the way in which ITI plans to integrate their students into the work environment and the degree to which they are prepared to tailor and mould the education package to fit today’s workplace.

“We see ITI as a source of recruiting staff. Every workplace has its own culture and the six month work project provides an opportunity for the company and the ITI student to really get to know each other before issues of employment even arise.”

Keith Cowan, Business Manager Tertiary & Education with Christchurch company JADE (www.jade.co.nz), one of New Zealand’s leading software manufacturers, says the ITI programme will be a win-win for students and employers. He sees great benefits for JADE in becoming an ITI business partner, including the opportunity to expose students to JADE technology.

“ITI students will have the option of accessing JADE technology during the programme. In time those students as IT employees in the international marketplace will spread the word about JADE into that business environment.”

Chris Mitchell says the only cost to ITI business partners is the time they spend working closely with staff and students over the nine months of the programme – there is no fee charged to companies for this involvement.

ITI has campuses in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. The nine-month programme costs $11,500. Students may be eligible for a tax-free allowance of $20,000 during the six-month work project in addition to any other loans or allowances they are entitled to.

ITI is currently going through the New Zealand Qualifications Authority approval process and has been registered as a private training organisation. The Graduate Diploma in Information Technology is subject to NZQA approval.

Enrolment details can be found at ITI’s web site www.iti.co.nz

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