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The Caribbean Institute of Technology (CIT) on Monday began a new training programme at its Montego Bay and Excelsior Community College facilities, as the institution moves to fulfill its mandate to significantly increase the number of software developers and programmers in the island.
"We have rolled out the (new) programme which was developed by Heart Trust/NTA in conjunction with the NCTVET (National Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training)," managing director of CIT, Samuel Bowen, told the Observer.
The new 10-month training programme - software design and development - is being conducted at the Montego Bay location on a full-time basis, while those participating in the part-time programme can do so at EXED. The part-time programme lasts for 18 months.
There are still 50 available spaces at Montego Bay and a similar amount at EXED, but Bowen declined to give the exact number of enrollees to date.
According to the CIT executive, there are plans to add other training programmes to the institution's itinerary and to provide on-line training over the next few months. The on-line programme, he argued, will help cut costs.
CIT's 1999 opening marked the culmination of discussions in Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States of America that began a year before among representatives from:
. the University of the West Indies, Mona;
. Furman University in Greenville, USA;
. the HEART Trust/NTA;
. the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Technology;
. the Montego Bay Free Zone;
. the International Development Consortium; and
. the Indusa software company in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
CIT was created with the goal of providing locals with world-class training, education and international certification in software designing and computer programming. It was part of the government's failed thrust to provide 40,000 IT jobs over a three-year period.
Since its inception, Bowen said, the programme has grown immensely as it delivers high-quality, competency-based computer training that will help participants take advantage of high-end job opportunities in the global information sector.
Over the past five years, close to 600 persons have been trained in software design and programming at CIT facilities.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20040120T220000-0500_54609_OBS_CIT_OFFERS_MORE_TRAINING.asp |
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