ICT & Digital
Let's talk about Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital careers. Scroll down to discover how we can help you with our adult learning courses.
Long gone are the days where the expectation is you need to be a computer genius to work in the ICT and digital industries sector. We’ve probably all seen stereotypes of square-eyed programmers and geeks staring at screens in darkened rooms 24/7, typing out endless codes of technical gobbledygook or taking computers apart and blowing out the dust, or maybe we’ve assumed digital creatives spend their working days playing video games.
Well, that’s not really true of any job in ICT; ICT is what drives all our business and services successfully forwards. Can you think of a successful major goods or services provider with no web presence, in-house computer or phone network? I’ll bet you can’t! ICT professionals have designed, programmed & maintain those networks.
We live in a digital world in a digital age and computing technology is everywhere, in our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, armed forces, local authorities, even in our pockets. Some people build computers, some tell them what to do, some test them, some maintain and repair them, some teach others how to use them, some just use them, some create the ways in which we interact with them, some even design content that entertains, inspires or educates us …. they are all working in ICT!
Careers in ICT can be both incredibly challenging and rewarding. A person working in ICT knows they must always keep learning, because as technologies advance, there are always new skills to acquire.
To work in ICT, it is likely at some point you would need to learn specific technical skills and knowledge, however, at the start, being able to think logically, having some experience of problem-solving, along with solid Maths and good English skills is all you need. If you’ve got these kind of skills, and you have a real interest in ICT, there will definitely be a next step in achieving your goals in the sector.
There are many different routes to take to get into ICT careers, also many different start points, however whatever career path people choose, they tend to follow one of two general technical routes, hardware, or software.
Hardware deals with the physical devices and network systems, typical hardware jobs might include technical support engineers and network engineers. People who prefer the software route work with the non-physical side of things, they create or learn the languages needed to enable computers or telecoms systems to work.
There are loads of different jobs in this area of ICT, including web designers, software developers and software testers. Some people who work in ICT choose to work in a less hands-on capacity, becoming involved in ICT-related consultancy careers, analysing & assessing other companies’ ICT systems and their business requirements; or they might choose to teach the next generation of ICT professionals themselves. (Source for information)
If you would like to find out more about careers in ICT, see the National Careers Service website section here.
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