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Some of the world’s largest employers recently met with the Minister for Skills to launch a programme encouraging girls in England to rethink their views that careers in technology are boring and 'just for boys'. This is the first and largest programme of its kind in the UK. Computer Club for Girls (CC4G) is an award winning programme which will bring to life the fun and excitement of a career in technology for 150,000 girls, aged 10-14, from September. The programme, being rolled out nationally to 3,600 schools, has been developed by e-skills UK, the employer-led organisation responsible for IT skills development in partnership with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). CC4G gives girls the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities from designing their own celebrity posters or magazine covers, creating a fashion show or mixing music. Some 3,500 girls have been involved in the pilot pioneered by SEEDA in the South East over the last three years and over two-thirds of these said they would be more likely to consider a career in technology after participating in the club. Teachers involved in pilots also report that clubs have had a knock-on benefit to other school courses as ICT skills are used to help students with their coursework. Important general skills such as, project management and communication skills as well as team working and critical thinking are also proving transferable across the school curriculum. Education and Skills Secretary, Ruth Kelly said: "It is absolutely vital that we take every opportunity to help girls recognise the relevance and attractiveness of careers in science and technology. Initiatives like the CC4G Computer Club for Girls are having a dramatic impact on girls’ interest and confidence in technology. It is good news that we are now able to offer CC4G to schools across the UK." Employers who wish to engage with CC4G can do so via an online service which matches what they can offer: volunteering time to help out, donating software or nominating potential schools, with what schools are looking for. Go to www.e-skills.com/exchange GO TO AN INTERESTING HR CONFERENCE IN EGYPT The International Federation of Training and Development Organisations, which AFAQ-ETA is a member, offer an annual conference each year in different countries. This year the conference is being hosted and organised in Cairo from 14 – 17 November. Speakers from Egypt, USA, UK, Oman, India, Spain, Russia and Canada will cover the hottest topics on the HR agenda. Sessions include:
For details of the conference and how to register, go to www.teamconferences.com. In 2006 the IFTDO Conference will be in Kuala Lumpur and the following year it will be in San Francisco, USA. Companies interested in membership of IFTDO should contact bill.fenton@afaq-eta.com AFAQ-ETA is delighted to announce that its new Foundation Course in Environmental Auditing has been accredited by IEMA. The new course explains the updated ISO 14001 standard for the professional auditor and for the internal auditors in companies. Our new ISO 9000:2000 Lead Auditor Course is at an advanced stage of development and will be submitted to IRCA for accreditation at the end of July. One of the features will be two optional interactive CD courses on the ISO 9000 and ISO 19011, the auditor standard. For more information contact phillippa.greig@afaq-eta.com Open Learning Power Industry Courses A reminder that the distance learning courses covering such areas as Power system Protection, Working Safely, the Business of Power and Operator Generation courses are offered at very competitive prices, compared to the costs of formal training. We have over 40 expert tutors covering every aspect of the courses including highly specialised areas such as fault calculations. Details are at www.afaq-eta.com or from Tyla Davis tyla.davis@afaq-eta.com
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