I am in my early 20s and for the last few years I have been working in
administration. I recently ran an IT training course within my company and
decided this is the direction I want my career to follow. I do not have a
degree. The majority of jobs advertised require you to have experience and/or
CIPD qualifications. What is the best way to move in to training and
development?
Professor Towler says:
The good news is that you have found something you really want to do at an
early stage in your career. This means you have plenty of time to develop your
skills and explore all kinds of opportunities. What’s more, the news gets
better and better. However, there is one major condition: you have got to be
prepared to put the time into study.
First, let’s deal with the question of degrees. There is no doubt that
having a degree is a major step up when it comes to getting a career, but it is
a long way from being the be all and end all.
There are plenty of successful people who haven’t got degrees, besides
which, in the longer term, you can always study part-time through the Open
University. The OU is arguably the most successful higher education institution
in the UK, and deservedly so.
The second bit of good news is that there is a huge demand for IT training,
so you have certainly chosen the right market niche. Also, there is a way you
can get the necessary professional qualification. The CIPD offers a Certificate
in Training Practice, which is probably the most widely regarded qualification
in the field of training and development. It is flexible and modular and is a
skills-based pro-gramme rather than academic. Once you have successfully
completed the programme, you also qualify for Associate Membership of the CIPD.
One of the key benefits of the certificate is that it allows you to balance
the requirements of the programme with your work and personal commitments. You
have also got access to online learning and support materials through a
dedicated learner support site.
So, when people say there is no quick and easy solution to anything, in this
case, there is. All you need to do is contact the CIPD and take things from
there.
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