Kgomotso Mogotlane

When it comes to making a career choice, it is not only about choosing what to do but it is also about who you are. An inquisitive mind, an interest in how things are created and how you can improve them can be an indication that you may follow your destiny through studying one of the many Information Technology courses available on the market. The question of how soon you can start to study in this field can easily or not so easily be answered depending on what you are looking at. While some children will show interest in I.T. from a very young age, out of curiosity or influence by the surrounding factors, others will develop their interest as they grow older. Their innovativeness may grow simultaneously with their interest, or one will follow the other. Fact is, there is no age to start! Still, there are requirements to be met if this is to be studied formally. The pre-requisite for admission at tertiary level is Mathematics in Grade 12 or alternatively possession of a technical equivalent qualification to register for a course and follow a career in this field. The entry percentage mark may differ from one institution to another, but the Department of Higher Education is the body that sets the basic entry percentage. Belgium Campus iTversity offers a Mathematics BridgingProgrammeto assist those who did not achieve the mark to gain entry into this course. This is another way of ensuring that potential students can enrol for Information Technology courses. There are various Information Technology courses to choose from and you need to have sufficient information to make a wise choice which will suit you. Educators are able to plant seeds of knowledge and incite interest in the field for many learners. It is one of the best non-intrusive ways from which career guidance can take shape, from an early age. However, the educators alone cannot ensure that the learners grow interest in this sphere of learning. Organisations need to come to the party and be part of the learners’ role models while they are still in school. This can be achieved through showcasing what they do and how students who study Information Technology courses would fit into their organisation, and maybe select students to groom for their organisational future interests. It would make it easier for learners to understand the broadness of I.T. and that there is a future for all in I.C.T. While this advice is aimed at other organisations, Belgium Campus iTversity has taken itself to task to lead this movement through working together with secondary school principals to collectively come up with ways to mould learners into potential future leaders. With an increasing need for qualified people in this digitalera and the availability of variousqualificationsin this field, the future looks brighter with every innovation.

The information and communication technologies sector has experienced a skills shortage for many years, calling for dynamic education and training initiatives. The spread of computing services in all sectors has proved to be a major employment driver. Belgium Campus iTversity has taken the lead and tailored relevant IT courses which are aimed at empowering students and alleviating this shortage. By focusing and coming up with intelligent ways of closing the digital gap between the students and the industry, we have a better chance of producing needed, highly skilled and work-ready individuals. At an organisational level, the effective use of ICT for information management is difficult without having appropriately skilled employees. The lack of expertise may have negative implications on the overall productivity of staff and on the profit turnover. Some organisations are taking initiative in an attempt to avoid this by investing in staff training programmes, which may include courses specifically in Organisation Information Management. It is a good initiative which benefits both the organisation and the personal development of individuals. However, if organisations had highly competent and well-trained interns or employees from the onset, it would enable businesses to effectively manage their information and as a result put them at the forefront of increased productivity and potential for a higher turnover. Belgium Campus iTversity, a private higher education institution, constantly engages with the industry to stay abreast of the most recent developments in technology. This collaboration assists in the process of producing industry-ready graduates with high-quality Information Technology qualifications. These graduates hit the ground running when they start at an organisation and do not need much additional training to become productive employees. This is partly made possible by the feedback received from the industry, which is used to decide what must be included or removed from the curriculum and the structure of the IT courses offered. Belgium Campus iTversity believes in adapting and evolving at the speed that IT changes. Adapting and evolving add sustainable value to the industry, which is one of the things at the top of our agenda. We believe that increasing the employability of people should be approached from a holistic point of view of balancing theory and practical work in academic qualifications. We encourage and promote the involvement of corporate companies in working together with higher learning institutions, schools and communities in developing various youth competencies. Through this consistent collaboration with the industry, and the highly employable graduates that Belgium Campus produces, the gap between the unemployment rate and the skills shortage can decrease over time.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly altering the ways in which we interact and work, linking communities and workers in increasingly sophisticated ways and opening new opportunities. Simply put, AI has become a new language, one that individuals must master to play above the technological ‘hoop’. Websites have become a platform of communication amongst a large number of communities around the globe. They are a significant tool for creating additional communication and advertising platforms for organisations. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up many opportunities in the IT industry, such as the emergence of the fifthgeneration technology (5G). It has also increased the demand for web development and the growth of social media platforms. It is notable that technology can never replace the human touch, but it can enhance human connections. This evolution has enabled people to connect with others and transact with businesses through the internet to remain safe during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The availability of smart tech and easy-to-use sites make it simple for people across the globe to stay connected. Businesses need more innovative ways to remain functional and make people aware of the services and/or products they are offering. Furthermore, businesses must understand the relevance and necessity to purchase or use those products which identify as the company’s specialisation – setting them apart from their competitors. The above are some of the reasons why studying a course in web development has become a viable career option. This type of work is not only limited to the creationof websites for large businesses, but also for the creation of website applications for small businesses. While the success of these sites is greatly dependent on what the developer must get right, the bottom line is that the user must experience satisfaction and ease of use. Some of the intricate aspects to master are device compatibility, browser consistency, effective navigation, reasonable load times and well-formatted content. Studying a course in Web Development can place you in the vanguard of inventors and, based on the success of your sites, you can be highly sought after as humans’ reliance on computing systems continues to grow.