Keywords
Citation
(1999), "Wooing workers into the working Web", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 23 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.1999.00323hab.015
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Wooing workers into the working Web
Wooing workers into the working Web
Keywords: Information technology, Internet, Career development
Bill Gates is wooing workers resistant to the lure of a job in IT with the launch of the Microsoft Skills 2000 initiative on the Web. The idea is to attract people of all ages who have shunned working in a hi-tech environment. It provides a launch-pad for anyone willing to build a new career in information technology.
David Svendsen, head of Microsoft in the UK, said: "The image of the industry is one of innovation and excitement, yet the image of the profession is one of 'nerdiness' and isolation. People do not see that the reality of IT work is very different, with a tremendous need for communication and creative skills, and a huge range of possibilities for all."
The Web site at www.microsoft.com/uk/shift will provide a first point of call for anyone considering a career change. It has an aptitude test to help people to decide if IT is for them. There are useful links to organizations, agencies and industry training bodies.