Home > News > March 2005 > 14-Mar-2005

Yorkshire and Humber provide first UK courses for ‘digital plumbers’

With the increase in working from home, demand for multi-skilled ‘digital plumbers’ is set to rise as homes in Britain incorporate a range of devices based on digital technologies.

IT industry trade association CompTIA has championed the Home Technology Integrator (CompTIA HTI+) qualification which aims to ensure that certified professionals will have the expertise to install and maintain home networks, providing a ‘one stop shop’ for clients.

CompTIA say that technology driven features are increasingly part of new build developments, but until recently had individual installation and support systems. With advances in technology, the different aspects of home technology are being viewed as a single ‘Integrated Home Network,’ allowing householders to control their home technology through a single computerised management system.

Over the next 12 months, a pilot programme will concentrate on the development of a body of people who are qualified to teach engineers. According to CompTIA, the availability of the HTI+ qualification opens up significant opportunities for service engineers employed by businesses in the consumer technology and support services industry.

With funding provided by Yorkshire Forward, Yorkshire and Humber is the first region in the UK to offer the new qualification. The first two UK CompTIA HTI+ training courses were held by NTI West Yorkshire in conjunction with CompTIA.

The first trainees to pass the course received their awards at the Yorkshire Forward ICT Vendor skills event held at the Queens Hotel in Leeds on 10 March.

"Yorkshire Forward will continue to work with ICT software companies to identify and develop qualifications that will keep people working within the region’s digital companies up to date with industry based technological advances," said Helen Thomson, Head of Inclusion and Skills for Yorkshire Forward.

Matthew Poyiadgi, CompTIA Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Europe and the Middle East, said "Yorkshire Forward is leading the way in providing opportunities for new career growth in the Yorkshire and Humber regions. The demand for the networked home is growing by leaps and bounds, and with it, the need for certified professionals -- digital plumbers – to service this market."

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