News
12 April 2007
Revolutionary new IT and business degree
Students on new IT degree at Oxford Brookes University will develop the skills and knowledge we need, say employers
Students taking a revolutionary new IT and business degree at Oxford Brookes University travelled to BT Tower in London last month to showcase their achievements before a panel of top employers of IT professionals. The employers were full of praise for the knowledge and understanding demonstrated by the Oxford Brookes students.
The students are all taking the Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) BSc Honours degree, which has been designed with employers to provide the balance of business, technical, interpersonal and project skills needed by today’s IT professionals and business leaders.
Competing against their peers from other universities across the UK, the students undertook a series of team-based challenges supported by employers including BT, Unilever, Ford, CA, LogicaCMG, Deloitte, IBM UK, BBC, Fujitsu and RBS. For example, students were asked to give a two-minute pitch to a CEO on how to expand the company and overtake its competitors within five years. They also competed in a strategic business game with employers monitoring the approach as well as the results.
Andy Puttock, General Manager of Products and Strategy at BT Wholesale, said: "The Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) degree course at Oxford Brookes University is developing graduates with the range of technology, business and communications skills greatly valued by employers. As one of the partners supporting this degree we were delighted to see the level of knowledge and understanding demonstrated by the ITMB students."
Dr Bob Champion, Principal Lecturer, Department of Computing at Oxford Brookes University, said: "This event was a tremendous opportunity for the students here at Oxford Brookes University. It allowed them to put into practice the presentation and team working skills that are so important for their future success as employees. Having experts from the ICT industry at the event gave the students a great chance to network, as well as to receive much-valued feedback to their efforts.
Comments from the students afterwards were entirely positive, focussing particularly on the lessons learnt from discussions with potential employers. This kind of experience is hugely beneficial, and perfectly complements the knowledge and skills taught on the ITMB degree."
The ITMB degree framework was created by e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecoms in partnership with employers.
Karen Price, CEO, e-skills UK, said: "Attracting new talent into the IT and Telecoms workforce is vital for the UK’s global competitiveness. Employers of IT professionals often recruit from non IT disciplines to obtain skills which are now essential for the IT workforce. IT-related degrees which aim to prepare students for modern careers in IT must adapt to reflect the broader range of capabilities required to be successful.
"The success of the Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) degrees, created with employers to develop the business-oriented, customer-focused IT professionals the industry needs, highlights how urgently such innovative courses are needed."
By the end of 2007, the ITMB degree will be available in 13 universities, supported by 30 employers.
Notes to editors
About Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB)
The Information Technology Management for Business degree framework has been developed by e-skills UK with consortium of leading companies that include BT, CA, Ford, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley, Norwich Union and Unilever. The degrees are supported by the Department for Education and Skills and the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Provided they meet the criteria for interview, every ITMB graduate is guaranteed an interview with a member company of e-skills UK’s employer Board. By the end of 2007, ITMB degrees will be supported by 30 employers and will be available at University College London, Loughborough University, UCE Birmingham, UWE Bristol, University of Exeter, Keele University, University of Hull, University of Greenwich, Lancaster University, University of Manchester, Northumbria University, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Sheffield.
For more information about ITMB visit www.e-skills.com/itmb
About e-skills UK
e-skills UK is a not-for-profit, employer-led organisation, licensed by government as the Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecoms. e-skills UK’s mission is to ensure the UK has the skills it needs to compete in the global economy. e-skills UK unites employers, educators and Government to address together the technology-related skills issues no one party can solve on its own. It provides advice, services and programmes that have a measurable impact on IT related skills development in the UK. e-skills UK part of the Skills for Business network.
About Skills for Business
Skills for Business is an employer-led network consisting of 25 Sector Skills Councils and the Sector Skills Development Agency. Through its unrivalled labour market intelligence and insights from the employers in all sectors of the UK economy, the network identifies change needed in policy and practice relating to education and skills development. With the influence granted by licences from the governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with private and public funding, this independent network engages with the education and training supply-side, such as universities, colleges, funders and qualifications bodies, to increase productivity at all levels in the workforce.
