Information technology (IT) can be defined as ‘the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware’. It deals with the use of computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information, securely.

The latest available industry figures from e-skills UK (the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology) show that:

• around one in ten firms with IT and telecoms professionals report gaps in the skills of these staff, most often in their business and technical skills
• according to employers, the most common reason for skills gaps among IT and telecoms professionals is that staff are unable to train due to work commitments
• 92% of all job vacancies require applicants to have IT user skills
• gender remains a significant and worsening issue, with just 17% of IT and telecoms professionals in 2009 being female
• since 2001 there has been a 50% reduction in applicants to computing degree courses.

Most jobs, particularly those working with customers, require good interpersonal skills, as well as team-working and problem-solving abilities. All have technical content, ranging from the in-depth skills of a software developer through to roles that may need much less detailed knowledge. Some typical roles are:

• business analyst
• help desk operator
• trainer
• software developer
• technical author
• technician
• engineer
• web designer.

Computing and IT skills gained in the Services
Each Service has its ‘expert’ IT staff; they will know exactly who they are and where their particular skill set might lead. They are generally found in the specialist communications, administrative and electronics branches, although there may be some people serving outside those areas who have considerable expertise. Others will have specialised in computing and/or electronics but only as part of their career pattern. They are still likely to have a number of very transferable and marketable skills, but these may need to be targeted in a particular area, or improved or widened in the period before leaving.

There is a great deal of computing and IT training available through the resettlement system. Preferred suppliers and other training providers offer a wide variety of courses in this field.

Training
Industry advice is for Service people to gain as much academic knowledge as possible while still serving that can be enhanced by practical training during the resettlement period. Knowledge can be developed through self study, academic qualifications via a college and an industry placement nearer discharge.

Career changers will have to learn to use specific applications or languages. How much formal training is required will depend on the new career path, as well as individual experience and aptitude. The options available range from conversion courses to work placements. Some companies recruit only those who have already been working in the industry, but most will take on new entrants. Many will take new recruits with little or no technical knowledge and offer training, provided they have other valued skills, and show they are enthusiastic and capable of learning. To increase the chances of getting a good job, individuals should aim to demonstrate these attributes through work experience connected to ICT (information and communication technology), or a course or qualification in an ICT- or business-related subject; and they should develop and be able to demonstrate skills such as communications and problem solving.

Computing and IT qualifications
Academic qualifications provide a thorough grounding in the principles that will be highly relevant for future training, although much of the detail will rapidly become out of date. There are also both generic and vendor-specific qualifications. The generic ones certify achievements in the general field of computing and IT, while vendor-specific ones demonstrate a level of expertise in a particular manufacturer’s products. Many people hold both, and even a portfolio of qualifications in the products of different manufacturers, as it is often important to be able to operate across both boundaries and equipment.

Generic qualifications include academic courses. Degrees (foundation or higher), HNDs and HNCs are all highly valued, with the theoretical knowledge involved always being relevant. Degrees tend to be in computer science, with HNDs and HNCs in software engineering. An A-level or GCSE in computer studies might be the academic starting point for the beginner.

NVQs (levels 1 to 5) and apprenticeships are available, based on sector-approved national occupational standards (NOS), but some employers may not be very familiar with them, and some other qualifications may be more useful. Vocational A-levels may also be taken – usually through colleges – and these can provide a job-orientated qualification with a strong academic element. The experience gained in acquiring these qualifications will be valuable in finding employment.

e-skills UK’s new NOS
e-skills UK has launched new NOS for both IT users and IT professionals (to find out more about these, visit www.e-skills.com/nos). User NOS may be gained through an IT Qualification (ITQ) programme, being used by 40,000 people a year with an e-skills Passport online tool.

e-skills UK’s IT Professional Competency Model (e-skills procom) is being established as an industry-recognised, internationally relevant training framework. Built on IT professional NOS, e-skills procom defines knowledge, understanding and competencies for seven broad disciplines (and their sub-disciplines) at five levels of progression, incorporating technical, business and personal skills. The disciplines are:

1. Sales and marketing
2. Business change
3. Programme and project management
4. Solutions architecture
5. Solution development and implementation
6. Information management and security
7. IT service management and delivery.

e-skills UK has also developed a master’s-level programme to fast-track the careers of new IT professionals. It has been designed with employers and will be delivered through universities and participating employers.

The CompTIA has members in more than 100 countries and runs a series of certifications, which are credentials achieved through a testing process to validate knowledge within a specific IT support function. Its exams are developed by subject matter experts, and the certifications are recognised throughout the industry as foundation-level skill sets. These qualifications are widely recognised and may also form modules in other ICT awards and programmes. Over a million people worldwide have earned a CompTIA certification since it established its certification programme in 1993.

The British Computer Society (BCS) has more than 70,000 members around the world and is a qualifying body for chartered IT professionals. It has its own exam structure:

• European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) (see box) and other user qualifications
• Information Systems Examinations Board (ISEB) qualifications, which provide industry-recognised qualifications that measure competence, ability and performance in many areas of IT
• BCS professional exams, which at their highest level take students to the academic level of an honours degree, and acknowledge practical experience and academic ability.

Professional vendor qualifications are training and exams in a specific manufacturer’s products. The manufacturer should be a major supplier in the industry for its qualifications to have value, but do bear in mind that the qualification that is so valuable today may have less value tomorrow if the manufacturer goes out of business or there is a major change in technology.

Microsoft qualifications are perhaps the best known, with the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer consisting of a number of exam passes, any one of which entitles the individual to be a registered Microsoft Certified Professional. The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator is also available, with its equivalent at the front end – programs that interface with the user – being the Microsoft Certified Systems Developer.

Microsoft is not, however, the only manufacturer on the market, and other big players, like Novell (Certified Novell Engineer and Certified Novell Administrator) and Cisco, also have their own qualifications.

Employment in computing and IT
Obtaining employment is inevitably a combination of:   

• qualifications
• experience
• networking
• work placements
• the right CV
• going for the right job.   

Those entering similar employment to that they had in the Forces may well start at the same level; those going into an unrelated field will probably start further down the ladder. Once into a company the employment possibilities are enormous in this expanding and changing industry. ‘Permanent’ employment is often regarded as lasting three to five years, and people commonly change employer every two years or so. In-house training is often provided, and good people can achieve rapid promotion.

Salary expectations vary hugely from one company and contract to another, so it is difficult to give an accurate picture. However, a relatively unskilled employee might earn up to £18,000, a technician (engineer or analyst) £25,000 to £35,000, a manager (user, data, support), £35,000 to £45,000, and a head of services anything from £60,000 upwards.

KEY CONTACTS
e-skills UK, 1 Castle Lane, London SW1E 6DR Tel: 020 7963 8920 Website: www.e-skills.com Twitter: @eskillsUK

Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), 5th Floor, City Tower, 40 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5DE Tel: 020 7330 6060 Website: www.comptia.org Twitter: @comptia

British Computer Society, First Floor, Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1FA Tel: 01793 417417 Website: www.bcs.org Twitter: @bcs