09 January 2012

With stiff competition for even entry-level jobs, people need to work harder to secure employment and having IT qualifications can give individuals that competitive edge when applying for roles, according to Martyn Lambert, the new Director of Qualifications at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

Martyn, who took up his new role in December, explains: “IT qualifications are a great way for individuals to differentiate themselves from other job seekers when applying for jobs. With an estimated 77% of jobs requiring IT skills, it’s vital that we help everyone to develop the skills they need. Being digitally literate is very important today if you want to take part in and advantage of our information society.”

Martyn, a BCS Fellow, is an internationally experienced board-level executive with proven success in both Europe and the USA. He has held senior positions with some of the largest and most prestigious brands in IT including Avaya, Dell, Sun Microsystems, and HP, in a career covering both Sales and Marketing. In his early career Martyn qualified and practiced as a teacher of Chemistry and Computing.

The Institute’s portfolio of qualifications include the internationally recognised European Computer Driving Licence which over 2 million people have registered for in the UK alone, Computer and Online Basics, e-safety, ITQ, Digital Creator, e-type, Digital Skills and Web Accessibility Essentials. The qualifications are delivered through a wide network of training providers, colleges and schools across the UK.

Martyn concludes: “This is an exciting time for the Institute and I’m looking forward to working with our training providers, teachers, schools and colleges to continue delivering the high standard of qualifications they expect from us. It’s truly exciting to be a part of an organisation that can shape the policy for IT into the future.”

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT will be at BETT (stand S14) where delegates and journalists will be able to learn more about the Institute’s qualifications, take a touch typing challenge and find out how much they know about e-safety through an interactive quiz.

Further information about the range of BCS qualifications can be found at: www.bcs.org/skills

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