Advertorial: How to choose an IT Training Provider

The world of computers fascinates you. You want to follow a career in Information Technology or Telecommunications. Where do you start? What career choices are available? What training and certification do you need, and how do you select the best training institution? CompTIA helps us with some answers.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a not-for-profit global industry association that sets standards for Training Providers in the ICT Industry and provides advice and guidance to employers on developing skills of their staff. CompTIA also provides guidance and advice to students to ensure they are properly prepared for employment.

Where do I start?

The first step is to decide what your interest is. This can only be done once you know what careers are available and have been exposed to the daily tasks involved with such a career. CompTIA has created a website to help you. Encourage your school to join CompTIA's academic program - Education to Careers (E2C), and gain access to http://tcc.comptia.org and browse! This site lists possible IT jobs and the skills you would need for each one. But once you've made your decision, now what? Do I have the aptitude for this job? There are many aptitude tests available at professional organisations, but the best method to determine if you have real interest, is to spend some time with people in such a job. Ask your teacher to help you search for companies who are in this business, arrange a "career day" or link up with a friend who is in this job. But what to do next if you still like the job?

What do employers want?

It is very important to find out if there are jobs available in your chosen career, both locally and overseas. It is also important to know what qualifications employers recognise. Call CompTIA for more information. Employers developed certifications that will provide you with the skills to start a career in IT, such as the A+ certification, recognised globally by companies as the starting point in IT.

Where do I get training for this job?

Here are some pointers to help you choose a Training Centre:

• Is the Training Centre approved or accredited with the relevant Government Body - SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority)? The SETA is tasked to assess Training Centres against quality requirements set by SAQA (The South African Qualifications Authority). In ICT, they need to be approved or accredited by the ISETT SETA. Call them on 011-805-5115 or visit their website on www.isett.org.za
  
• Is the Centre recognised by the vendors they provide training towards? If they offer training towards CompTIA's A+ certification or Microsoft's MCSE, are they registered with CompTIA (www.comptia.co.za) and Microsoft (www.microsoft.com)?
   
• Training is only a small part of preparing for a career in ICT. Practical experience and/or exposure in a simulated environment is an important component. This needs to be completed by taking the official assessments and exams to obtain the qualification. Attendance certificates issued by the college are not accepted by employers!
   
• If you attended training towards international certifications such as the CompTIA A+, ensure you take the official exams at an authorised VUE or Prometric Test centre. The practice of offering "local" or "South-African" A+ exams compiled by the Training Centre is illegal and not worth the paper it is written on!
   
• CompTIA has designed a score card that would help you to assess Training Centres and make the right choice. For a free copy of the score card click here, or contact CompTIA on 011-787-4846 or e-mail them on info@comptia.co.za today!

For more information on CompTIA, visit their global website on www.comptia.org.

This article appeared in the May 2011 issue of TechSmart magazine.