Call for Participants: ITAM Apprenticeship Scheme (Trailblazing Employers Required)
ITAM Skills Shortage
ITAM Review research has shown there is a lack of new, young people entering the ITAM world – leading to a lack of skills and a potential problem for organisations, and the wider industry, in the future.
Our 2017 Salary Survey demonstrated a dire shortage of new blood in the ITAM industry
Conversations with ITAM Review conference attendees across the world absolutely back up these findings – attracting new talent into the ITAM industry is difficult and a real concern for many ITAM managers.
Awareness of ITAM as an industry is low and, for those who have heard of ITAM, the overall impression tends to be one of dusty shelves of software packaging, boring spreadsheets in the basement, and being a blocker to the business.
We’d like to do something about that.
What are we doing about it?
“Apprenticeships have a long tradition in the United Kingdom, dating back to around the 12th century” ~ Wikipedia
Apprenticeships have become a staple part of many areas of the IT industry. Large vendors such as Microsoft have programmes to encourage their partners to hire young school leavers into (primarily) technical roles and have them learn through a combination of “on the job” training and a classroom-based curriculum.
The ITAM Review wants to do the same thing for our industry. Our aim is to create a nationally recognised ITAM Apprenticeship programme – but we need your help.
The first thing we must do is create a “Trailblazer group” – that is a collection of employers to help us:
- Develop the new apprenticeship standards
- Employ apprentices
- Review and promote the ongoing standards
We need 10 -12 organisations to work with us to define things such as:
- Occupational profile
- Duration and level of apprenticeship
- Required training
If you’re UK based and want to help us set up the ITAM industry for a strong future, please get in touch using our contact form (https://marketplace.itassetmanagement.net/contact/) or connect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinthompson/).
Equally – if you can help us get started with an apprenticeship scheme in your country, let us know.
Cheers, Martin
Related articles:
- Tags: Apprentice · Apprenticeship · ITAM Industry · Skills Shortage
About Martin Thompson
Martin is also the founder of ITAM Forum, a not-for-profit trade body for the ITAM industry created to raise the profile of the profession and bring an organisational certification to market. On a voluntary basis Martin is a contributor to ISO WG21 which develops the ITAM International Standard ISO/IEC 19770.
He is also the author of the book "Practical ITAM - The essential guide for IT Asset Managers", a book that describes how to get started and make a difference in the field of IT Asset Management. In addition, Martin developed the PITAM training course and certification.
Prior to founding the ITAM Review in 2008 Martin worked for Centennial Software (Ivanti), Silicon Graphics, CA Technologies and Computer 2000 (Tech Data).
When not working, Martin likes to Ski, Hike, Motorbike and spend time with his young family.
Connect with Martin on LinkedIn.
If you want to drive excitement and desire in a job role, the job itself needs to be more predominant in the industry. So many company’s either do what is technically “reactive ITAM” where they only respond when they are required to, or the job roles are just split between the people, but there isn’t any “defined” ITAM system. Now, there are the few, that are cropping up that do have or are developing a decent ITAM program. Once we can get people to stop saying “what’s ITAM”, it will drive the need for jobs, and in the end, the people. As I scan the job market (at least in my area), I just don’t see it out there.
Build up the industry, get more companies to start bringing ITAM into their business case and the people will start flocking to the knowledge in droves.