Home > News > November 2005 > 28-Nov-2005

New academy launches to develop IT training consultants

Two of the UK's largest trainer resource providers, Training Synergy and BroadSkill, have established Spearhead Academy to help candidates become qualified IT training consultants.

Spearhead Academy provides a three-week programme that aims to develop IT and training skills which guide students towards European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) accreditation and the new national ITQ Level 3 qualification. The Academy welcomed its first intake of students on 21st November.

Jane McCarthy, who heads up the joint Spearhead Academy, said: "The first part of the course equips delegates with the skills required to deliver effective IT end-user training, covering course design and delivery, learning styles and lesson planning. Throughout the course delegates are given opportunities to practise their newly developed skills by delivering several 'mini-teach' sessions, the content of which will contribute to the work-based evidence tasks required to achieve ITQ qualification later in the course.

"Delegates are then coached through the ECDL syllabus with accredited testing and should achieve the ITQ Level 2 qualification on completion of the three-week programme. Before leaving the course, students develop a plan to help them achieve the ITQ Level 3 qualification and are offered coaching and support by our tutors to help them reach this goal," she added.

"All of the Academy's successful candidates are supported and guided in how to start their own sustainable training business and given an opportunity to work on a major Synergy or BroadSkill IT training project with a leading global IT company."

According to the founding companies, Spearhead Academy has already been accepted as a registered training provider for the Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) scheme which means the Academy can accept people leaving the British Armed Forces who are looking to establish a new career.

Stephen Fletcher, MD at BroadSkill said: "We came up with the idea for the academy when we were considering how to resource the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) project - DII(F). This major programme to refresh the MoD's IT infrastructure requires up to 100 instructors and coordinators for the training element as from next month.

"We envisage that some of this resource will come from military personnel returning to civilian life, who have the distinct advantage of both understanding the working environment and already being security cleared. We also saw the opportunity for a wider initiative which will help ensure a continuing supply of skilled trainers to the industry."

Welcoming the establishment of Spearhead Academy, Daniel Hanlon, director of Training Synergy, commented: "As one of the UK's largest suppliers of freelance IT trainers, we have seen 'training' evolve in recent years, with the introduction of e-learning, 'floor walking', workshops, mentor and drop-in sessions augmenting the instructor-led training, which was by far the main IT training delivery method even five years ago.

"IT trainers used to have to explain what a mouse is. Those days are long gone."

"Nowadays, trainers are becoming consultants and mentors, working with learners to advise and guide them to help them become more productive in their daily roles."

"Through the Spearhead Academy, Training Synergy and BroadSkill are recruiting, training and employing qualified IT training consultants - not mere IT training deliverers - to meet the acknowledged current shortage."

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Training Synergy

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