IT Training Courses

Krad_2

Hello,

Been looking in to gaining some professional certification and was going to do it via distance learning. Has any one got experience of distance learning and what college have used?

I have so far looked at National IT Learning Centre

And Skill Train

There is a massive difference in cost and so not sure who to train with. The most important thing to me is passing the course but wanted to know why such a difference in cost?

I did my first part of research through the "Institue of IT Training" But not sure if there advice is any good. Any help on the subject would be really helpful.

olly300

What exactly do you want to train in?

What is your end aim? In other words what job/career do you want to do at the end?

Most IT training is actually badly done, very expensive and you find you don't learn that much.

Krad_2

Well I would like to start my Cisco CCNA. I have tried in the past to self tech and not done very well. So I’ve been looking in to distance learning as an option.

The aim is to make my self more employable as I’m currently out of work. I use to work in telecoms and IT, nstalling VoIP and setting up SMB networks but I have no formal qualifications to show just experience. I feel if I had a professional certificate as well as my experience I would be more employable?

What do you think about distance learning?

olly300

I advise you to google both companies you have mentioned as I have just found this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2008/10/the_skills_training_thats_off.html

and this:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/consumer-regulations/traders/25/1/

Previous experience with other consumer products has shown me that if a company is shown on Watchdog or has a regulator involved in changing their contract terms even if it's old news they still have problems.

To be honest the only people I know (including myself) who successfully have managed some distance learning to get more qualifications have been developers, testers and project managers. Simply because book learning and self study is more applicable to our jobs.

The people I know and have met who work in networking, infrastructure and sysadmin have all done classroom training courses.

I suggest you see if any of your local colleges or universities do these courses or similar courses. I know when I was searching courses (I do have the advantage of living in London) I found that some further/adult education colleges do networking courses that get you recognisable qualification. Unfortunately for you you probably won't be able to start until September or next January.

BTW some employers are also now stating that if you don't have an IT related, Mathematical, engineering or physical science degree then don't bother applying for jobs regardless of the professional qualifications you have. Unfortunately this happens in every recession.

olly300

OP I suggest you ask on the techie board whether anyone is in networking, and where and how they studied.

Krad_2

Thanks for the information, had a look and decide to not spend the money in that way. I also talk to a mate who explain who trained with National IT learning. He wished he had just spend the money on the training books as the support was useless.

So today I've been in contact with the local college, and interested to find that I could do my A+ with them for free. I know this is not a great qualification but at least its some thing. I’ve also been looking at the university courses too but the UCAS dead line with today? I would be interested to know what qualification would be worth doing. I really enjoyed my experience working in the field of IT and networking.

By the way I have just moved to Cheltenham if you know the area.

olly300

As you are a mature student you are best off contacting universities directly. Google for your nearest ones.

You also may actually be legible to do postgraduate study without doing undergraduate study due to having practical experience in the area.

Then there is also the Open university. Unfortunately the courses that start in February will probably not have places but it's worth having a look. If you haven't done any previous university study then you can get funding to help you pay your course fees. However if you want funding you probably would be applying to do courses that start in the Autumn.

TheBaron10

I have done the CCNA and CIW Associate through www.distance-learning-centre.co.uk.

I have used others before and the support is never great With DLC, you get the same service but the prices were over 1/2 the price of ICS, National IT and others.

Hope this helps