What's the purpose of the Technicians' Academy?

As organisations rely increasingly on IT there becomes a greater need for qualified IT technicians who have a wide range of high level skills.  There are also a lot of people currently in employment have the skills, but have never gained qualifications that will support their career development.  Up to now students still at college did not have the opportunity to follow a vocational course aimed directly at this type of work. The Technicians' Academy aims to solve these problems by providing a broad range of technical courses.

In setting up this academy we aimed to:-

• Provide students with an overview of all aspects of the technician’s work.
• Develop business and entrepreneurial skills.
• Offer work placements to gain valuable practical experience.
• Give students the opportunity to develop communication skills.
• Provide students with opportunities to move into higher education.
• Be actively involved in promoting the work of IT technical support.

The Technicians' Academy is equipped with a wide range of new hardware including a Cisco lab bundle and a large number of pc components and peripherals.

What are we offering

The Technicians' Academy has been operating from September 2003 we have been running a full-time two-year course aimed at students who wish to become IT professionals. The core academic elements are the OCR National Level 3 in ICT and the ICT Academy course which includes Cisco specialist courses. Over the two years students will follow the Cisco IT Essentials I and II courses and the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). The Cisco courses are certified by Cisco and are recognised internationally as valuable qualifications. This combination of subjects provides a fantastic opportunity for students to develop a high level of expertise in IT.

Full details of the OCR National ICT course can be found on the OCR website. Information about the Cisco courses can be found on the Cisco Networking Academy Program website.

A very exciting development for 2008 was the introduction of the ICT Academy which students will follow as part of the Technicians' Academy course, this new course incorporates the Cisco modules that the students were already following with some new and interesting modules. This course will (subject to confirmation with the UOP) make it easier for students to gain a place on Univeristy of Plymouth computing courses.

The Cisco modules give students the opportunity to develop skills in the practical as well as theoretical aspects of standalone and networked computers. Students carry out a range of tasks including building a computer, installing operating systems and networking computers. Students learn about all aspects of networking including wireless networking and router technologies. These aspects of the course proved very popular in our first year and our students have developed a high level of confidence and proficiency in fixing computers.

End destination?

We would hope through placements and the contacts we develop students will embark on careers in the IT industry or proceed to higher education at the end of the course. We have developed links with the University of Plymouth and we hope to work closely with the university this year to encourage students who wish to follow a route into higher education. Several of our students are now at University studying IT or computing courses (ranging from computer games design to networking and security) and the rest are in employment or are running their own business.

Application Process

We are happy to talk to any potential student and would welcome visits to talk informally about the course.

If you are happy to go ahead, please contact us for an application form.  You will be invited to an interview where we can discuss your application.  If you are successful you will receive a formal offer and a reservation will be made for you on the course.

As you will appreciate there is a huge interest in the course.  We will be looking for a group of around 15; places will be offered on a first come basis.

We are looking for students who are enthusiastic to learn and with a genuine interest in IT.

I look forward to receiving your application and meeting you at Treviglas.

Mr. D. Baron
Technicians' Academy Manager