Logicalis has put its weight behind the Advanced ITApprenticeship, as part of a move designed to plug the skills gap and developmainframe expertise.
The channel player will provide students with remote accessto IBM z Series mainframe in order to gain experience and put up some of itsstaff to help with lectures.
Martin Boakes, system z practice manager at Logicals saidthat the growing popularity of the mainframe was causing a requirement for anew set of skills that could react to the demand for the technology.
“As a private company, Logicalis is able to apportion asection of its working mainframe free of charge, and contribute to the teachingof technical and business skills,” he said.
The apprenticeship scheme, which lasts for two years, isbacked by the British Computer Society, e-skills UK and the Learning and SkillsCouncil.
Having announced the course a total of eighteen students will begin the two-year course in September and will gainan IT Professional NVQ with supporting IT and Financial certification oncompletion. After that a further 20 students will be recruited every year.
There has been a growing trend to encourage apprenticeshipswith several resellers operating schemes that plug skills gaps in the storageand networking markets.
Despite the downturn and the recent Home Office indicationsit will limit the entry into the UK market of foreign IT workers TomKelly, managing director of Logicalis, said that the skills issue remained amajor one.
“British industry, renowned for its IT, engineering, andscience expertise, is facing a skills time bomb that could hit both the economyand employability of the next generation. It’s critical that privateindustry and educators collaborate to promote the opportunities and careerprospects available,” he said.
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