e-skills NTO


View the Foreword
View the Executive Summary
View the Introduction
View Part 1: Employer Leadership
View Part 2: Professional Skills
View Part 3: User Skill (IT4all)
View Part 4: Delivering The Plan
View Part 5: How To Contribute

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The IT Industry
Other IT Professionals
General IT Users

Part 3.3 Priority programmes, 24

The segments of the population most needing improvement in generic IT user skills are existing workers and older potential recruits such as the unemployed and returners to work. These groups need to understand the imperatives for improving their skills. Wider access to IT user training is essential, along with easier ways of assessing the quality of training. More people will achieve qualifications if it becomes easier for individuals and employers to assess what is valued. Employers need to have a stronger voice in the development of curricula, so that students enter the job market with appropriate IT user skills. Stakeholders need to align around a common view of priorities in this area, based on solid data, expert prediction and international comparison.

The following summarises priority programmes to underpin the strategic objectives for IT user skills. The e-skills NTO will lead these in partnership with employers, government and others. Detailed plans of the projects and initiatives within these programmes are included within the annual business plan of the e-skills NTO and are available online under Current Activities .

Strategic objectives for IT user skills:

Please click on the area of interest below to view the priority programmes underpinning each of the strategic objectives:

  1. Increased demand
  2. Qualifications and development pathways
  3. Training
  4. Funding
  5. Educational curricula
  6. Skills intelligence
  7. Stakeholder alignment
"I would like to see the acquisition of a meaningful qualification in the use of IT as the norm. A consistent and understood level of IT user skill is a necessary prerequisite for so many jobs these days, and ever more so in the future."

Brenda WhiteHR Manager,
Royal & Sun Alliance UK

"Here at the University of Reading, we shall increasingly be collaborating with business, and IT is one of our particular focus areas. We want to embed IT user skills widely across our undergraduate curriculum. Working with industry is extremely important to us - we must make sure that what we offer students is up to date and will be valued by employers when they embark on their careers."

Professor Tony Downes
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Resources)
The University of Reading