Those who wish to excel in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry must continuously strive to further enhance their qualifications in order to increase their professional competency and to stay competitive in the market, according to Cheong Chew Seong, who is the assistant director of market development at Informatics College.

Cheong added that while colleges and universities provide the ICT students with theory and hands-on learning experience, it is essential for them to acquire additional knowledge by themselves and keep pace with the latest developments and evolutions of this industry, as students churned out will be of top-notch quality.

With colleges nowadays that are beginning to offer professional certification programmes as they provide specific knowledge and job-related skills, students must hence grab the opportunity to take up such offerings to be equipped with the necessary skills that meet the demands and specifications of the job market.

Students and professionals should, apart from enhancing their competency in the ICT field, work towards improving their business communication skills, particularly English. In today?s age of globalization, effective communication is as critical as technological skills in view of the cross-cultural communication and collaboration that is on the rise.

Meanwhile, Dr Parmjit Singh, who is the managing director of the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), described ICT as an important discipline in itself that does not only require the understanding of technological concepts, but also the elements to where it can be applied as well as the development of transferable skills such as personal communication and teamwork.

In addition, students must also find continuous ways to apply theory to practice in real-life situations and to develop a strong sense of professionalism and ethics. Apart from the students themselves needing to possess the right mindset, Dr Parmjit believes that the institutions of higher learning have a pivotal role to play in moulding the minds of young professionals, through the continuous emphasis on the competency level of graduates and the provision of the right practical and vocational skills level to complement their theoretical knowledge.

According to Dr Parmjit, a knowledgeable technical workforce can be defined as those who have the ability to seek and absorb knowledge and be able to apply the knowledge acquire in the real world. A sound education in ICT should hence create the knowledgeable technical workforce that the country warrants. He suggested that sufficient education and counselling about the type of attributes needed to excel and succeed in the ICT industry be provided to prospective students so as to produce graduates with the right balance of technical skills and knowledge, graduates who are easily adaptable, have problem-solving aptitude, and with good communication skills.

A conducive environment that goes beyond having the right physical infrastructure for the academic needs of students is needed, whereby more significantly, it should encompass the creation of the overall ethos and spirit of professionalism to which students would absorb and take into their workplace eventually.

The ?Computimes? column in the New Straits Times newspapers, 25th February 2004