Maxed Out
Because the System i can run at redline speed all day long . . .
June 7, 2007
System i Academic Initiative Makes Huge Leaps in Europe
The IBM System i Academic Initiative is one patch of blue sky that has the potential to help change the drizzle that's been pouring on System i sales during the last couple of years.
Here's why: Smart IT pros think about talent as they make technology decisions, and if there's not readily available talent, that's going to skew their decision-making process away from the technology in question. Similarly, if there's lots of talent with a particular skill, that knowledge (and perception of knowledge) work to promote the technology in the industry at large.
I wrote about IBM's System i education efforts about a month ago and only briefly mentioned Europe. Our sister publication, System i NEWS UK, just published "Academic Initiative goes from strength to strength."
In Europe, where much of the education programs are heavily managed by centralized government programs, IBM is able to make massive leaps when those programs choose to offer System i curriculum. Dozens of colleges may suddenly, at the same time, begin teaching the System i. Frank Booty reports:
A coup for the Academic Initiative was the Scottish Qualifications Authority saying it was implementing a Higher National Diploma to include System i — to be taught at all 43 colleges of further education in Scotland from September onwards. The move means System i certification will be an academic qualification in its own right as opposed to an award given purely by IBM.Beck has undertaken a customer-mapping exercise in which she looked at the customers Big Blue has in the different areas where there is a college and put the company in touch with those clients.
"A large number of customers in Scotland are interested in this program," says Beck. "I've had tremendous support from our internal sales teams in selling the concepts to customers and business partners. People are excited that students on these courses will be able to actually do something when they leave a college as opposed to just owning a certificate."
This work experience element was crucial to the Scottish Qualifications Authority's decision. Although SQA already runs courses on Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, and Apple, these vendors do not provide a link between students and local businesses.
Booty reports much more, of course, so check out the full story. This last point about providing a link from students to businesses . . . that's critical to the success of these programs. In the U.S., we lost System i curriculum in schools where the jobs dried up. IBM's proactive work in education might not be flashy, but it's definitely a ray of sunshine.
If you're seeing similar action (or inaction) on the education front, post a comment here on Maxed Out and help share the knowledge!
Posted by cmaxcer at June 7, 2007 9:34 AM
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