From brickie to techie: bridging the IT skills gap

Enlightened self-interest by Sage, Microsoft and Accenture as they offer a way into the job market to those who have fallen behind

In a world dominated by technology, qualifications are more important than ever before. Whereas once you could leave school at 16 having flunked your exams and still land a reasonably well paying and stable job, this is becoming harder all the time. It is precisely these sorts of jobs which are disappearing as a result of automation. In an advanced technological economy it is all too easy to get left behind, and ever harder to catch up.

However, technology can also ‘give something back', at least to an extent. Through web-based self-study and distance learning, those who struggled at school or who took a wrong turn later in life can learn relevant skills, provided they have the right encouragement and support.

A few years back business advisor Fiona Bradley spotted a gap in the market in Sage qualifications. There were no recognised standards and businesses were hiring people on the strength of their experience in Sage accounting software, only to find they had none.

After much lobbying of colleges, universities and awards bodies she was eventually able to create enough interest to persuade Sage to weigh in behind the initiative, whereupon the first qualifications in Computerised Accounting for Business were created and the Sage UK Accredited Qualification Programme, of which she is now lead consultant and partner, was born.

Moodle the dog

Sage UK Accredited Qualifications operates on Moodle, an open-source learning management system (LMS) used to host learning materials allowing trainers to manage and monitor how learners access them. Bradley is a big fan of Moodle and even named her dog after the platform.

"It's easy to use, and integrates with other providers so they can seamlessly operate our courses as if they were their own, doesn't seem to have many problems and learners like it," she said.

Many colleges have their own Moodle platform, and its reach even extends into prisons, where Sage UK Accredited Qualifications operates structured learning and mentoring programmes and where, for example, Weston College use it to prepare prisoners for a career on the outside.

In a letter, one Dartmoor prisoner expressed his gratitude to the college and Sage, saying that the course had helped him recover his self-esteem and that he now has plans to set up his own business on release.

"It has been a massive turning point for me. The course not only challenged me intellectually but has reignited my thirst for learning, boosted my confidence and given me plans and real goals on my release," he wrote.

"The letters we have are quite tear jerking," said Bradley. "People who had such low self-esteem and thought that accounting was an unreachable skill find that it's really quite straightforward and they can do it… It's so rewarding to make a difference, better than money, actually."

As well as the "fantastic" support by Sage, Bradley emphasises the importance of the combination of business and education to the scheme's success.

"This is a good example of education working with commercial companies to give the market what it requires, rather than educators deciding what is required."

Apprenticeships have been making something of a comeback in recent years as government seeks to address the yawning skills gap, but these usually require some level of qualifications putting them out of reach of those who fail to make the grade, for whatever reason. However, some tech firms are providing a stepping stone to young people who left school with limited qualifications, training them up to the level required before offering them an apprenticeship.

For example, Microsoft, Accenture and other firms have started offering career opportunities for poorly qualified youngsters in association with QA Training through a government-funded traineeship initiative which aims to get young people into jobs as well as tackling the UK's digital skills shortage.

"For young people without basic qualifications, accessing the opportunity of an apprenticeship can be challenging," said Sarah Foxall, corporate affairs manager at Microsoft, adding that the company's staff supporting the programme are all volunteers.

"This programme provides trainees with a chance to learn and grow, time and support to explore their employment interests, and opportunities to demonstrate their potential," she said.

Trainees enrolled on this scheme receive government funded training at a QA training centre, as well as a structured work placement at Microsoft, after which they can apply for an apprenticeship.

Eighteen-year-old Matthew Walker completed a QA Traineeship with Microsoft last year and begins his apprenticeship this week. Having failed to achieve the hoped-for grades at school he was working as a bricklayer (a job he did not enjoy) when he was recommended for the scheme.

"I found that the sessions at QA differed greatly from lessons at school," he told Computing. "They were more enjoyable, engaging and more hands on than lessons at school. I managed to achieve my functional skills at Level 2 in Maths and English also which has helped me to get an apprenticeship,"

On completion of his apprenticeship, he wants to join Microsoft as an IT technician.

Of course, such schemes only go some way in helping people realise their potential and closing the UK's dire skills gap, and much more work is needed from both government and business, but it's encouraging to see tech companies rising to the challenge.