Adapt Projects

 

 

IT Technician Training

Aim

This project aims to enable unemployed/economically inactive people to get IT Technician jobs, particularly focusing on opening up opportunities for those who would not normally have the chance, and/or are less likely to otherwise take up such jobs (including the older unemployed, women returners and people who have been made redundant from traditional industries).

Objectives

The objectives of this project are:

To bring together a steering group, organise an event or delivery/other key partners to review/embed in future provision learning points from and launch promotional activities.
To organise a programme which takes individuals through:
•  Awareness raising, including tasters and one-to-one guidance
•  Where appropriate initial 'preparatory' training
•  A programme of training, lasting from 12-24 months and leading to an award of level II/III (or equivalent). Trainees will have the option of following one of a number of specialisms in IT/ICT (hardware and software, networking, etc). All programmes will involve core skills development, project work and work experience.
•  The chance to gain vendor skills (including Microsoft, Unix, Cisco, Novell) in addition to VQ
•  Support in moving into jobs and making these jobs sustainable. Over the period of funding, 154 people (from the priority groups outlined above) will gain awards and/or enter employment.
•  Develop new approaches to support progression from community learning and to encourage women/older people to enter this area of training employment. This work will be coordinated by the LCC and we will produce 3 good practice guides over 2003.
•  Evaluate provision and produce a mainstreaming guide. This will be completed by the project completion.

 The programme is to be delivered flexibly by using a combination of class work, practical activities, projects and assignments, with considerable use being made of ICT. Family-friendly provision will take greater account of childcare and family responsibilities. Particular attention is to be paid to aftercare, by managing the successful transition to employment and enabling the beneficiary to become a lifelong learner. Further detail is also contained in the project objectives section above.

Target Group

The project is targeted at people who are economically inactive with a special focus on those who would otherwise face significant barriers in accessing IT technician jobs (including resulting from gender stereotyping), and will bring in unemployed young people, the recently redundant and older unemployed people.

The project will s et up special actions to engage the target group. This will include encouraging and supporting participation by women and by building progression routes for learners through first step programmes, which will be delivered on a local basis.