What is the Scope of the it Skills Crisis and Are we Tackling it in the Right Way?

Recent research suggests that British Business requires 150,000 new entrants into IT each year. Over the past few years the number of graduates in IT has halved to 20,000.

The figures speak for themselves. Even the most ardent sceptic cannot deny the skills deficit that we currently face. But why does this gap exist and are industry and Government adopting the right strategies to tackle it?

In my view; its all about career change - supporting individuals working in the UKs declining industries to retrain for a role in IT. But while this sounds like a practical common-sense solution to a growing problem, it is receiving little support.

Efforts are being made to promote IT to under-represented groups, such as women, but it seems that little is being achieved in terms of promoting uptake of the subject in secondary and higher education. From a relatively early age it appears that able students are led towards the sciences and IT skills are not given the same kudos.

The generation currently in secondary education has grown up with technology so their lives are dramatically different from their predecessors; access to the internet, mobile phones, sophisticated gaming consoles have all impacted their aptitude to and perception of technology. So it seems strange to me that more students arent inspired to study for the jobs which shape and mould these inventions. It could be that they take the technology for granted, or it could be the age old image problem.

The other issue influencing the perception of the IT industry, and one which I believe is having an impact on the number of students opting for IT courses, is outsourcing.

At the present rate it is estimated that over 100,000 IT jobs will have been transferred overseas by 2010. Skills shortages in the UK are creating the economic imperative for companies to outsource to or recruit from overseas.

But while low-level helpdesk skills can be outsourced effectively and in volume, the challenge comes when trying to recruit for development and programming skills required by IT departments and service providers. India, for example, is able to fill the gap because it is investing in training its population, although whether this provides an immediate answer to the problem is questionable. And other countries such as China have some way to go before they can offer a solution for British industry. So why is the Government standing by and watching when we have large numbers of poorly skilled people keen to train but simply unable to afford to do so?

If the required number of people with the right IT skills arent materialising through the British education system, or being sourced abroad, then the missing link needed to stimulate career transition into IT must be training.

In my view, this is the most practical solution which matches workforce supply and demand, giving individuals new opportunities while solving an industry skills deficit. But a lack of appropriate funding is holding up the process. The people most in need of the training, most likely to complete it and most likely to give the greatest contribution to the workplace after completion, are excluded from most funding initiatives. The current system falls short as funding for Government training schemes is channelled through employers; so training for a new career whilst working is inaccessible for the thousands of people unable to fund themselves.

The Governments development of Skills Accounts that would release funds directly to individuals provides a glimmer of hope. But there is no guarantee that the scheme will be adopted and it isn't planned to be rolled out for over two years. A more practical option would be to zero rate VAT for individuals funding their own training for a career change, but this has received little support.

To offer reassurance to industry, and a positive outlook to individuals, we must strive to provide choice and financial incentive to stimulate career change; this is the how we should tackle the skills crisis.


About the Author

Karl Parkinson, Chairman, Computeach - With over 40 years of experience in the IT Training Industry, Computeach provides innovative and truly blended learning solutions to a wide range of customers. For interviews, images or comments contact: Rosie Gallagher Marketing Communications Executive Computeach International Ltd Phone: 01384 245 308 Email: rosie.gallagher@computeach.co.uk

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Setting Goals To Take The Lid Off Your Insurance Sales

Setting Goals, Many insurance agents state that their goals are to close more sales, keep customers happy, get more business and give better service. The problem is that these general statements are nothing more than wishes, hopes and dreams.

Time to Commit

For any plan to work there must be a real commitment from the players. In this case the key player is you. One way to help build this commitment is for you to sign the plan. A signature often has a strong psychological impact that compels people to act. In a word, you are the action in the action plan. To lock in this commitment, share it with someone you can be accountable to, who can hold you to the promise you made to yourself.

In many companies, the goals of the salespeople complement the goals of their sales manager, whose goals complement those of his or her manger, all the way up the organization to the very top. Make sure that your goals are in tune with those of the company, and that your mentors and managers know what youre aiming for, so they can help you get there.

What you expect is what you get

Your positive expectations have a definite impact on your behavior, causing you to behave and react in ways that are more likely to produce the desired results. This type of behavior also influences the behavior of the people you meet and interact with professionally. If you are positive, confident and optimistic about the way your product and services will meet your prospects needs, your client is more likely to react in a similar way. At the same time, if you enter the same situation with the same goals, but with less than positive expectations, your behavior is going to show it and your customer is going to see it. Most importantly, your income is going to show it as well.

Program Yourself to Win

It is one thing to say to yourself that you are going to have positive expectations, and quite another to make it happen. There are three quick and easy steps you can take to increase your positive outlook:

1. Visualize yourself dealing comfortably and persuasively with your prospect and see yourself closing the sale. The best time to do the visualizing is when you are at the edge of awareness, just before you are about to fall asleep. It is one thing to see your goal outcome. It is another to rehearse the good feelings you will have right NOW. You always know how you want to feel right Let that be your anchor to a positive outcome.

2. Leave some upbeat notes for yourself that reaffirm your strengths, effectiveness, competence and aspirations. These notes are similar to the advertising messages you constantly see and which gradually work their way into your subconscious. Reinforce your own personal brand identity.

3. Set realistic, quantifiable goals, such as a certain number of sales or a volume of business. Be sure to set a deadline for yourself Put up a note or graphic that shows how much progress you have made toward reaching your goal and how much is needed before you reach it. Track your progress on intermediate landmarks on the way to your goal.

When people have a clear idea of where they are going, they are more likely to demonstrate behaviors that will get them there. The motivational impact of goals is even more compelling for those individuals who have either participated in the goal-setting process or have established the goals for themselves.

Bottom line, as an insurance agent we have control over two things in our professional life: our attitude and our activity. Strive to be the best agent you can be and good selling


About the Author

We provide sales leads to our agents. These leads are returned by a homeowner in their own handwriting. This allows the agent to spend most of their time selling versus prospecting. Go to

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Be Selective in Choosing a Translation Company

Before choosing a professional translation company, please read the following article, so that you may be well informed.

Tips on Hiring a Translator

When it comes to selecting a translator, we often ask ourselves, what are the criteria to follow to find the right professional? This article sets guidelines aimed to help you find the service provider that will satisfy your needs for translation services. The article discusses basic selection criteria.

When cultural accuracy is a concern, it is crucial to ensure that translator is native to the language the document should be translated to. A native speaker has usually not only the knowledge of the proper grammar but also knows cultural nuances of the language. A translator must take into account these nuances to ensure documents are translated accurately.

Another important criteria is how well the translator knows the source language of the document. Even if the translator knows the target language very well, without the in-depth knowledge of the source language of the document, he may not be able to capture the correct context and may translate the document incorrectly to the target language.

If you are familiar with either source or target language of the requested translation, you may want to ask the translator to send you some sample work to determine if the translator meets source and target languages criteria.

Many of the translators do not obtain any formal education. In your selection you may want to give priority to translators, who have completed some type of linguistic school. This type of background comes often useful when translating text with a complex terminology. If the text for translation is related to a unique field, ensure that the translator has some experience working with this field. Very often field specific documents require knowledge of the advanced vocabulary of which only a specialized translator may be aware of.

When working with a translator, communication is one of the key elements of completing your project successfully. If the potential translator works full time, you have better chances for communicating with him more effectively. Part time translators may not be as responsive as full time translators.

How to reduce translation costs?

The Internet technology has a great impact on many industries and translation service market is not an exception. The times when clients reached to their local translation service providers belong to the past.

Clients order translation services online as they realize it is cheaper, faster and more convenient. It's due to new techniques and tools which bring advantages to clients as well as service providers.

You may ask how it is possible that ordering translation services online can make such a huge difference in price, delivery time and convenience.

First of all, translation service providers equipped with online translation portal and automated translation management system are able to cut their service costs because majority of tasks and involved agents are eliminated. Translation providers are able to concentrate their efforts on providing high quality translation service instead of tasks related to file exchange, resource management or accounting. This reduction on costs allows service providers to offer much lower rates to their clients.

Secondly, online translation service allows clients to obtain an instant quote and delivery time for document translation services. Clients are able to upload their documents using an online portal and place the order in real time. Translation providers are notified immediately about the order and are able to start working on it. Depending on the number of languages and number of documents required for translation, translation service providers can handle orders on their own or outsource translation services to translators who are part of their teams. Translation management system streamlines file exchange, improves communication between clients, project managers and translators, and overall allows for faster completion of the project and delivery of translated documents.

Finally, online translation portals allow clients to obtain quotes and submit orders anytime. The progress of orders can be tracked online from a web interface. Online translation portals provide tools that simplify communication between clients, translators and translation providers. Client is able to retrieve invoice for all orders directly from their online accounts. These are among few features that make online ordering more convenient.


About the Author

Javier Pena- Owner/President. Please visit us at: http://www.globalonetranslations for more exciting information about our #1 company. You may also call us at our toll-free # at: 1-800-727-9861 or e-mail us at: quotes@globalonetranslations.com

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Getting Ahead in the Utilities Industry

The Utilities industry is currently facing rapid change and is having to adapt to the many new demands made on it by existing and potential customers. Once dominated by state-run monopolies, the utilities sector of the twenty first century is shifting to respond to emerging competitors who are increasingly savvy to new and evolving technologies. With a growing spotlight on renewable energy and techniques for clean energy production right through to improved water treatment and supply systems, the whole of this sector is changing. At the coalface of energy and water supply, the utilities sector is adapting to a paradigm shift in our attitudes to consumption that climate change and increased environmental awareness are bringing about and as a result it is having to meet new targets and expectations all the time.

All of these shifting factors make this is an excellent time to join the utilities sector. The excitement these challenges present are a test of the industrys adaptability and ability to perform under strict criteria. To meet with all these current trends, the industrys expectations from employees is also under revision, so that new and interesting posts are being created all the time.

As a result the industry has come up with an energy and utilities register system which allows employers to look up the various competencies of an employee at no cost and with a mind to train each of them further where necessary. Signing up for this register once you have your first qualification is one step closer to getting the job you want and the training you need.

Water jobs and those found in the energy area of the industry are facing the toughest challenges from Government and the public alike in terms of cutting carbon emissions and reducing cost. We are all aware of the sharp rise in utility bills and of how competitive the industry has become for both residential and commercial customers, and now the industry is having to work hard to introduce new ways to generate clean energy and develop new methods of production.

With the world becoming increasingly electrified as a result of low resources of fossil fuels and a water crisis that has even hit our small island in the form of summer droughts and hose pipe bans there is a lot of scope for improvement the UK and in terms of the global market in many areas of the utilities sector. In order to achieve these ends there is currently massive investment in the areas of research and development of the technology necessary to turn these trends around. If you are looking to be a part of this revolution in energy production or to help change the ways we manage water, jobs are coming on the market every day for those who seek to embrace innovation and fresh challenges every day.

Whether youre looking for water jobs, nuclear jobs or energy jobs such as gas jobs there are of course ways in which you can improve your chances of finding the job which is right for you. The best way to increase chances of employment in any of the facets of the utilities sector include obtaining qualifications specific to that area and where possible university or direct work experience.

Having an industry-standard qualification in your chosen discipline such as ISEB qualifications will also underpin your knowledge and skill in your chosen area. Since the utility industry is recruiting across the board all the time in order to meet demand, employers may also accept those who have no formal education but have undertaken an apprenticeship. Studying one of the many City and Guilds level qualifications in water treatment will allow you entry into the complex methods of water supply currently in the UK. With a foundation in Level 2 Award in Water Simple Works, for example, and with experience under your belt youll be able to study further levels in order to handle the machinery necessary.


About the Author

Duncan freer - Director -

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