Leading IT trade association CompTIA and its tech workforce charity, Creating IT Futures, has launched a brand-new 16-week IT training programme to help adults in Lancashire launch a career in tech.
Funded by the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership as part of the DCMS Digital Skills Innovation Fund, the blended programme – called IT-Ready – will provide technical training to adults with a passion for technology completely free of charge.
Adopting a hybrid classroom approach, the programme is designed for those whose existing commitments means they otherwise wouldn’t have time to upskill. The schedule is flexible, allowing students to tailor training to suit their needs, making it ideal for working mums, those on zero-hour contracts and those whose current jobs are at risk of automation.
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“The UK tech industry is booming and we now boast more than 165,000 core IT job roles,” said Graham Hunter, vice-president of skills certifications at CompTIA. “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 benefit from learning the necessary technical and soft skills needed to pass both parts of the CompTIA A+ competition, as well as to succeed in the industry. Students will also gain valuable professional development training that will help to refine their communication skills, as well as their conflict management and critical thinking – expertise that are advantageous in the majority of professional roles.
“This initiative offers a fantastic opportunity for local people and businesses alike to boost their digital potential,” said Kerry Harrison, regional co-ordinator for the Lancashire Local Digital Skills Partnership. “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.”
If you’re 18+ and you’re interested in the programme, visit www.creatingitfutures.org/lancashire by 21 February 2020 to enrol