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Microsoft Customer Solution
Customer Solution Case Study
U.K. Training Provider Helps Government Meet
Competitiveness Goals with IT Apprenticeships
Overview “With Microsoft certifications, Zenos graduates rapidly
Country or Region: United Kingdom
Industry: Education
move into high-profile jobs. They either move up the
promotional ladder quickly into supervisory roles or
Customer Profile
Zenos, which specialises in preparing
shift to higher product ranges.”
young people to enter the IT sector, is George Anderson, Managing Director, Zenos
helping to deliver the United Kingdom
government agenda for workforce Zenos, the biggest training provider in the ICT Systems and Support
development.
Sector in the United Kingdom (U.K.), specialises in advanced
Business Situation apprenticeships for young people in IT support and software
Zenos wanted to develop an advanced
apprenticeship programme for young development. Zenos currently runs advanced apprenticeships for
people offering value-added technical and 48 U.K. organisations, including many blue-chip companies. The
business skills in an 18-month timeframe.
company has about 1,000 learners registered in its programmes,
Solution which are geared toward 16- to 24-year-olds who are already
Zenos linked certifications through the
Microsoft® IT Academy Programme with employed. With its advanced apprenticeships—part of a national
City and Guilds Institute of London initiative to improve U.K. competitiveness Zenos has linked
qualifications to create advanced
apprenticeships for IT support workers. Microsoft® certifications with academic content from the City and
Guilds Institute of London to create a 16-month programme that
Benefits
Better motivates apprentices.
combines skills and knowledge acquisition. Graduates of the
Offers alternative to college for 16- to programme are highly employable and often gain rapid promotion.
18- year-olds.
Provides employers with qualified IT
What’s more, their Microsoft certifications are recognised
workers. worldwide.
Helps meet government targets for
competitiveness.
Situation in the development programme. We also
Zenos is a privately owned training provider wanted to make our apprentices useful in the
that specialises in preparing young people to workplace as soon as possible and keep the
enter the IT support industry through the whole programme to around 18 months so
United Kingdom (U.K.) government’s new the timescales weren’t too long.”
advanced apprenticeship scheme. An
advanced apprenticeship is a framework for To embed the vendor certificates into the
developing the skills of young people offer, Anderson needed a formula that would
between the ages of 16 and 24. Because all satisfy the LSC, which cannot fund training
the frameworks’ content is specified by the programmes offered by commercial
appropriate industry or sector, they provide enterprises.
all the skills and knowledge a young person
needs to compete in the real world. Lastly, Anderson wanted to trigger new
sources of government funding for workforce
For many years, Zenos has worked with both development by offering advanced
“It is rare for companies public and private-sector organisations to apprenticeships through a regional IT
to take on this age deliver IT personal-development programmes academy system.
that offer value-added technical and business
group, but this was a skills. Its customers include HP, Fujistu,
key concern of the Capgemini, and Toshiba. At any one time, the Solution
company has up to 1,000 learners between Zenos worked with several partners during
government’s the ages of 16 and 24. the development programme. These included
Connexions service in City and Guilds, which is the leading provider
The new advanced apprenticeships are of vocational qualifications in the U.K.,
particular, which offers supported by eSkills U.K., the national voice employers, the LSC, and eSkills UK. The key
career advice to young of the IT industry, backed financially by the breakthrough for Zenos was gaining the
Learning and Skills Council (LSC), and support of Microsoft.
people.” delivered free of charge to learners and their
George Anderson, Managing Director, Zenos employers. The LSC exists to make the U.K. “It gave the advanced apprenticeship
better skilled and more competitive. programme new credibility and visibility, both
with the young people involved and their
George Anderson, Managing Director at future employers,” Anderson says. “It also
Zenos, wanted to find a solution that met the provided the impetus for gaining new sources
challenge set by the government. His vision of funding and setting up a network of
was to offer advanced apprenticeships that regional IT centres, including Milton Keynes,
combine nationally recognised qualifications Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Wakefield, High
with knowledge content. The aim was to give Wycombe, Stevenage, Birmingham, and
16- to 18-year-olds certified skills that would Telford.”
be instantly recognised by industry and the IT
services sector. Microsoft® certifications have been
embedded in the development programme
“We set out to combine the best of both for the new advanced apprenticeships. This
worlds,” says Anderson. “A top-level has happened with agreement from City and
qualification from a leading academic Guilds, which provides the National
institution—which in our case was City and Vocational Qualification (NVQ) work-related
Guilds Institute of London—combined with and competence-based qualification in IT.
certification from a leading software vendor
The programme has been approved by eSkills Benefits
UK. Zenos is tailoring advanced apprenticeships
so they combine nationally recognised
Terry Killer, Skills Manager at Microsoft UK, academic content with Microsoft
says: “The Microsoft certifications for certifications, making apprentices more
Microsoft Certified Desktop Support employable. The programme is helping to
Technician and Microsoft Certified Systems meet the challenge set by the government in
Administrator (MCSA) do not replace the NVQ making the national economy more
or Vocationally Related Qualifications, but competitive.
they do complement them with skills tests
and provide the resources from the Microsoft Employers Can Recruit Qualified IT Support
IT Academy Programme. The MCSA credential Staff More Quickly
is for professionals who have the skills to Unlike many IT qualifications offered by
successfully implement a Microsoft product higher and further education, the Zenos
or technology as part of a business solution advanced apprenticeship programme can be
“About a year ago, we in an organisation. completed in less than 18 months. Within
could see Windows just five months, successful apprentices will
“Apprentices also gain real working skills qualify with certificates as Microsoft Certified
Server 2003 and much more quickly under the new offer, Desktop Support Technicians. This new
Windows XP were which combines academic knowledge with certification is designed for help-desk
skills in using Microsoft technologies. They professionals supporting Microsoft Windows
becoming industry can obtain the Microsoft Certified Desktop and Microsoft Office system.
standard, so we decided Technician qualification in just five months,
making them valuable to employers in a short Killer says: “It gives our advanced
to update the space of time.” apprentices industry recognition of their
qualification by making knowledge and proficiency with Microsoft
Furthermore, Zenos is now inducting young products and technologies. They also gain
it more dynamic.” people on the advanced apprenticeship access to technical and product information—
George Anderson, Managing Director, Zenos scheme with Microsoft Windows® XP directly from Microsoft—through the Microsoft
Professional for the desktop and Windows Certified Professional member site.
Server® 2003.
“From an employer perspective, there are
Anderson says: “When we started four years substantial benefits in supporting young
ago, we began with Microsoft Windows 2000 people through an advanced apprenticeship.
Professional and Microsoft Windows 2000 Apprentices have access to training in
Server. About a year ago, we could see Microsoft skill sets, free of charge to their
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP were employers. The same training from a purely
becoming industry standard, so we decided commercial supplier would cost thousands of
to update the qualification by making it more pounds.”
dynamic. In years to come, it will be the same
with Microsoft Windows Vista™ because we Programme Keeps Apprentices Motivated
need to keep apprenticeships relevant to the Throughout Training Process
tools used in the workplace.” Studies show that Zenos students are more
motivated than students who take
conventional packages at further and higher
education colleges.
Anderson says: “Subject to means testing, Programme Helps Government Ministers
the apprentices will enjoy regular payment of Meet Competitiveness Targets
£40 per week plus travelling expenses from The development of a thriving knowledge
the government while undergoing training. economy is viewed by government ministers
The combination of acquiring practical skills as the key to economic competitiveness. With
in industry-standard technologies and 950,000 people in the U.K. unemployed as of
academic knowledge is very attractive and May 2006, the advanced apprenticeship
makes for a virtuous circle.” scheme operated by Zenos is a fast-track
route for school leavers to join the IT support
Many current Zenos students already gain industry and thereby help make the U.K.
rapid promotion once they have completed more competitive.
their training, and advanced apprentices will
be no exception. Anderson says: “They are Anderson says: “Our corporate customers,
very employable people. Because of such as Fujitsu Services, employ very few
Microsoft certifications, Zenos graduates people under the age of 19, which is why
rapidly go into higher-profile jobs. They either there is a need to attract younger teenagers
“They are the future, move up the promotional ladder quickly into to the advanced apprenticeship scheme.
supervisory roles or shift to higher product They are the future, and we are helping to
and we are helping to ranges.” bring forward tomorrow’s people today.”
bring forward
Programme Provides Teenagers with Young Learners Acquire Knowledge of
tomorrow’s people Workplace Alternative to College Leading-Edge Software
today.” The new 16- to 18-year-old advanced Young people who sign up to Zenos courses
apprenticeships in IT support, starting in of personal development for the IT support
George Anderson, Managing Director, Zenos August 2006, will fill a gap in current industry are equipped with skills in leading-
opportunities for those who have left school. edge Microsoft software. Anderson says: “We
are giving our young people the skills that
Zenos has been promoting the workplace- industry wants. This is why we’ve upgraded to
based scheme through Connexions, the Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
government’s support service for all young Microsoft certifications are the passport to
people in England between the ages of 13 employment and rapid promotion for many
and 19. Anderson says: “It looks as if we will young people who choose this particular
have between six and 10 centres and career path.”
between 300 and 600 students in the first
year.
“Connexions tells us there is plenty of
demand, but little on the supply side for this
age group. What is on offer from further or
higher education colleges is often long and
drawn out. Young people instinctively want to
get up to speed quickly and move on to
better-earning opportunities once qualified.”
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Document published October 2006
