News in Brief

Helping IT students up the business ladder

e-skills UK, together with software provider CA, held an event for 150 students of the Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) degree this week. The day provided students with the chance to meet with over 30 employers, including CA, Logica, BA, BT, Cisco, Deloitte, IBM, ITV, Morgan Stanley and Procter & Gamble, at CA's headquarters in Slough, Berkshire. It was also an opportunity for students to get an insight into starting a career after university, and to receive employer feedback on their development.

During the interactive day, students heard from John Swainson, the CEO of CA, and from the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of Transport for London and Procter & Gamble, who spoke about how technology enables their businesses. In addition, the students received advice from recent graduates in the first few years of their careers, participated in employer-run skills workshops and took part in competitions which were evaluated by panels of employers.

A highlight of the event was a CA competition which gave the students the opportunity to win a day 'Running CA UK & Ireland' by shadowing Chris Miller, Senior Vice President and Area Manager, UK & Ireland at the company. The winner of this motivational prize was Andrew Lawes from the University of Exeter, who judges thought made the most outstanding impression during the day's events.
 
Chris Miller says: "The rounded graduates produced by ITMB will have the skills needed by employers. Events like today provide students with the opportunity to receive real world experiences from leaders within the industry. CA has been involved with ITMB from its inception and is proud to be taking a lead role in giving students an ideal preparation for a successful career as an IT professional."

Karen Price, CEO e-skills UK, comments: "Attracting new talent into the IT professional workforce is vital for the UK’s global competitiveness. More and more, employers need graduates who have a sophisticated blend of technical and business skills; the people who can quickly become the business-oriented, customer-focused technology professionals who are in such demand by industry. The ITMB degree develops those capabilities, and the hands-on involvement of companies like CA really helps to inspire and motivate students."

Offered at 13 universities in England, ITMB is an innovative programme, designed in partnership with, and supported by, employers. The degree ensures the ITMB graduates have the background to excel in a wide range of IT professional careers.

For more info on the ITMB degree, go to www.e-skills.com/itmb

Posted on 19 Mar 2009