Is I.T. Training Poor?

In the TEKsystems quarterly “I.T. Executive Outlook” survey, more than 35 percent of I.T. leaders rate their I.T. organization’s training program’s effectiveness as fair or poor, and nearly half rate their reinforcement plans (46%) and accountability mechanisms (42%) as fair or poor.

“For training to be considered effective, reinforcement plans and accountability to using newly acquired skills are essential,” says TEKsystems director Rachel Russell. “These structures not only enable I.T. professionals to master what they learned, but also, they show the workforce that an organization is serious about applying new I.T. skills to advance the business.”

I.T. leaders say formal training is the best choice for hard skills like certifications (89%), project management (74%), technology skills (74%), and emerging technologies (69%). Additionally, respondents say soft skills like leadership (50%), industry knowledge (55%) and business acumen (71%) are better learned organically through experience and not training.

I.T. managers (60%) or I.T. directors (51%) are most often responsible for developing training programs, according to the survey. However, 28% of I.T. leaders say that I.T. employees should be responsible and share ownership for prioritizing which training programs are most relevant for them.

—Full report: www.teksystems.com/About-TEKsystems/Press-Release-News-10334.aspx

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