IT courses still a good choice despite layoffs

IT courses still a good choice despite layoffs

JAKARTA (JP): Just in the past two weeks, we have read news
after news about job losses in major IT companies.

"Nokia to cut jobs in networks unit," reported Reuters on June
28.

CNet News.com reported that Intel was in the process of
cutting 5,000 jobs, several hundreds of which would be in Denmark
as the chip giant had decided to stop selling its general-purpose
routers and switches.

Another leading networking company, 3Com, has announced job
cuts for the remaining months of the year.

Lucent Technologies announced it would reduce several
thousands of jobs after it had completed its voluntary retirement
program. Even IBM has to let thousands of its workers go.

And, as the Internet seems to be losing its credibility as the
backbone of the New Economy, job cutting in Internet companies
have also been taking place at a frightening pace.

Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas Inc. reported
last month that the number of layoffs in U.S. dotcoms were close
to 125,000, up 56 percent compared to the number in May. During
the first half of this year, the firm said, almost 800,000
workers were displaced in this sector.

So, if jobs are so quickly disappearing from global IT
industry leaders and Internet companies, has the end of the IT
professionals' golden age finally arrived?

Does it still make sense to pursue skills in the information
technology? Will you be able to earn a living with a good skill
in XML or Java programming, for example?

Absolutely. What is happening now is a temporary setback,
caused by a hiccup in the global economic expansion. It forces
the IT leaders to streamline their operations and consolidate
their businesses.

And, as John A. Challenger, CGC's CEO, said, "The good news
for displaced workers as well as for the economy is that the jobs
that are being affected the most by downsizing are still in
demand."

So, if IT is your profession of choice, how can you prepare
for it? The good thing about becoming an IT professional is that
you do not need a university degree to become one.

All you need to have is proven skills in the latest technology
and a willingness to learn new technologies as they come around.

That is why attending IT courses should still be in your list
of daily activities, whether you are a student studying economics
or a store manager working 50 hours a week.

Fortunately, there are a number of good IT courses around,
many of which are international and follow international standard
curricula. Two institutes in Jakarta where you can pursue IT
courses are SSI and NIIT.

SSI, which focuses on providing IT professional training, is
located in the Kebayoran area and has a branch location in West
Jakarta.

Boasting qualified expatriate and local faculty, it offers
courses for "high-end" professionals as well as high school and
college students.

Professionals can take courses in e-commerce, Oracle, Java
programming, networking, etc. Students and even beginners can
take courses on how to use Microsoft Office as well as the
Internet.

With course materials developed based on industry
requirements, this IT course center provides an affordable avenue
to IT job opportunities. Perhaps most notable of all is SSI's 24-
hour computer lab facility which students can use seven days a
week.

Like SSI, NIIT also has its origin in India, the Asian IT
powerhouse. NIIT has been in Indonesia for much longer, and has
also established an international presence.

NIIT, however, concentrates more on long-term programs -- up
to two years. Students can choose to take one, two or four
semesters and learn all the latest technologies in the industry.

During the semesters, they will learn SQL, Java programming,
C++ programming, Visual BASIC programming, CGI, Active Server
Pages (ASP), DHTML, XML, ARSDA, all the way to Web design, and
programming and software quality assurance.

To really prepare the students for the real life at work, the
last two semesters will feature case study presentations and
professional practice in real industrial settings.

Both of these international IT institutes will issue
certificates that are recognized in other countries. They can
also help with job placement, too.

Just remember, the IT golden age is not over yet. Far from it.

Zatni Arbi