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In today’s climate – of depressed financial markets around the world – highly developed business analysis skills are at a premium. So, in the light of growing demand around the world for these IT-related systems skills, Software Education Associates – Australasia’s premier training organisation specialising in professional-level, software development training - is planning to ‘internationalise’ its highly successful courses.
Earlier this year, the global analyst firm, Gartner, warned of a worldwide shortage in IT personnel as the coming generation shun the industry because of a perceived lack of glamour and a reputation for hard work. Gartner believes that the current shortage is different from the skills gap that emerged in the dotcom era, as it affects all areas of the IT industry and not just specific technical skills.
A study carried out by National Computing Centre in the UK about the same time revealed that the skills shortage in the IT industry had increased from a 4.2 per cent shortfall in people last year to 6.8 per cent this year - the highest in the past decade. The study also revealed that some 73 per cent of employers which had indicated the need for new skills plan to acquire them by re-skilling and training existing staff.
“We are well placed to help employers meet this challenge,” said Software Education’s managing director, Martyn Jones. “We currently offer a wider range of courses for those involved in software testing or in business analysis than any other training provider in the southern hemisphere.”
In the analysis, requirements and design space, Software Education offers seven course titles endorsed by IIBA™ (the International Institute of Business Analysis).
The company’s flagship course, ’Business Systems Analysis’, runs approximately once a week in Australasia. Software Education also provides an online assessment tool for business analysts, ’BA Assess’.
“In addition to ’Business Systems Analysis’, which provides a practical grounding in the subject, we offer a range of more advanced training options, depending on learners’ needs,” Jones added.
Software Education also has other courses accredited by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) - which is responsible for the international qualification scheme called ‘ISTQB Certified Tester’.
“We offer 12 software testing courses,” Jones said. “These can be used to enable learners to achieve ISTQB certification – both Foundation and Advanced.
“As befits our market leading position, we have developed an exclusive partnership with Rex Black, one of the world's leading test specialists,” he continued. “Rex is currently the President of ISTQB and a seasoned international trainer and consultant.
“This is where we are different. We employ the very best practitioners across the globe to run these programmes.
“For example, Software Education can offer lots of options, including Masterclasses with internationally respected ‘gurus’ including James Bach, Dorothy Graham and Robert Sabourin.”
Already, over 3,000 people have successfully completed at least one of the company’s courses. With its proposed expansion into the international market for business analysis skills, Jones predicts that this figure could easily double in the next year or so.
For further details of Software Education’s web-delivered training courses, email info[.]softed.com.
About Software Education
Software Education is Australasia’s pre-eminent provider of professional-level, software development training. With offices in Wellington, Brisbane and Sydney, it offers over 50 course titles, a range of specialist software development conferences and consulting to many of the region’s largest and more sophisticated software development groups. Its vendor-independent, quality-driven courses are all available for on-site delivery, while the more popular subjects are run on a public basis.
Software Education was formed in February 1990, as a result of a management buy-out of Datacom Education from Datacom Systems, one of the region’s largest IT services organisations. In 1991, Software Education bought Digital Consulting Pacific Pty Ltd in Sydney from its USA parent, and started running conferences.
In March 1997, Software Education sold its majority-owned subsidiary, Software 9000 Ltd, to Rational Software Corporation in the USA. This company then became Rational NZ.
In July 2000, Software Education sold its training management business, run out of Software Education Asia Pacific Ltd, to Pathlore Software Corporation in the USA.
In January 2005, Software Education acquired Australian training organisation DP Education.
Software Education’s largest customers include nearly all the major players in the Australian and NZ financial sector, government departments, airlines and telcos, international IT companies, manufacturers and e-Commerce organisations.
Further information from:
Software Education Associates Ltd, +64 04 568 7806 (NZ)/ 0800 268 773 (UK)
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