Is there a little ICTS training unit?
Not quite, but 18 consultants with UCT's Information Communication and Technology Services double as instructors on the many courses offered by the department each year. These trainers are co-ordinated by Alison Palthe, the department's IT Training Manager, who not only keeps an eye on the courses offered by ICTS to UCT staff and students, but also makes sure that ICTS staff are well trained.

Where are these ICTS trainers located?
All around the ICTS department, which is housed within the Computer Science Building on the Upper Campus.

What kind of training does ICTS offer?
They cover just about every software package that UCT subscribes to. Staff can register for courses on Windows, the Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access), Internet and web publishing, among others.

How many courses does ICTS run each year?
The department hosts about 130 courses each year – in addition to its numerous on-site and one-on-one sessions – training about 500 postgraduate students and 600 staff members. As of next year, these courses will include a short but comprehensive test to make sure staff and students have attained a requisite level of competence.

How good are these trainers?
Palthe's job is to make sure that the instructors are as good as they get. Which is why, just recently, they all attended – with four SAP and Finance trainers – a five-day training course that will prepare them for the Certified Technical Trainers Plus qualification. The CTT+ is a cross-industry credential, stating that a technical trainer has attained a standard of excellence in the training industry. Developed by CompTIA in Chicago, the course has been approved by the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF) as a benchmark for IT training standards. The UCT group is the first in the Western Cape to achieve this qualification.

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