IT training programme hailed as ‘critical’ to local ‘knowledge economy’

A leading Ulster business figure has highlighted the crucial contribution of the Rapid Advancement Programme (RAP) to the development of the ‘knowledge economy’ in Northern Ireland.

The RAP Programme is a technology training initiative delivered by leading technology solutions provider B.I.C. Systems and aimed at providing skilled IT employees for local industry in Northern Ireland.

Stephen Kingon, Northern Ireland managing partner of business advisors PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: “Initiatives such as the RAP programme play a critical role in developing the local economy by helping to ensure an ongoing supply of technology skills for indigenous industry and for multinational companies setting up in Northern Ireland”.

Mr. Kingon was speaking at the recent B.I.C. Systems RAP graduation ceremony, held in the Europa Hotel, Belfast, where he presented a number of awards for outstanding achievement to top graduates from the course.

“More significantly, the programme helps Northern Ireland develop a culture, where innovation, productivity and quality excellence lie at the heart of business practice and of the local economy,” said Mr. Kingon.

The RAP Programme is designed and delivered by B.I.C. Systems in partnership with the Department for Employment and Learning and annually re-skills 200 graduates from non-IT backgrounds. The programme involves 32 weeks of tuition including a 15-week work placement.

In this year, the fourth year of the programme, an additional 180 graduates have joined the course. The success of the programme is underlined by the fact that almost 90% of RAP graduates are currently employed in IT positions across a range of industry sectors.

At the ceremony, three RAP graduates were recognised for outstanding achievement over the course of the programme. The award for RAP Placement of the Cohort - which is given to the student who carries out the most exemplary work placement during the year - was received by John Dennison, after he designed a customer relationship management (CRM) system for his placement company, Glen Dimplex. John has since been offered a permanent position with Glen Dimplex’s applications development team.

The RAP Systems Graduate of the Cohort award went to Wayne Goucher, in recognition of an exemplary performance during his work placement at Northbrook Technology. He has since been offered a position as a Technology Support Analyst.

Another award, for RAP Development Graduate of the Cohort was received by Patrick Boyd, following an equipment maintenance project he carried out at Analog Devices during placement.

Anne Clydesdale, director of Training & Corporate Development, B.I.C. Systems said: “The people who have graduated from this programme have come from non-IT backgrounds, so for these graduates to obtain this qualification is a remarkable achievement, in that they have had to become proficient to a professional level in a completely new discipline”.

Recent figures for the information technology sector in Northern Ireland show that employment grew from just 3,000 in 1998 to more than 9,000 last year with revenue generated in the sector rising from around £200 million to more than £1 billion during this time.

“Over the last four years, the RAP programme has become recognized among the technology industry as a key source of skilled personnel. The programme has beyond doubt played a part in the development of the knowledge based economy in Northern Ireland,” added Ms Clydesdale.

(SP)