July 2004 Newsletter

Welcome to July's Newsletter!

In this month's newsletter we will concentrate on two subjects close to your hearts -  support and funding!

The material we provide in our training programmes is second to none. Written by our Certified Partners who have access to the coding and software from the big names such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CIW, Cisco etc.,  you can be sure that our  training software emulates the software you will be working on in "real life" - and the simulations and testing follows the curriculum you are studying. 

The support we offer enhances your training and can be looked at almost as supplemental - as in some cases our students do not need or use any support at all - as the training  material provided covers everything and it's so easy to use!

However, support is a subject which a lot of you ask our Personal Course Advisors about and hopefully today we can go some way to answering some of those questions.

Our innovative training programmes include support in the form of help and assistance all the way through each lesson. From simple reference guides within the training software, online links to web sites giving access to  the most up-to-date information, to full 24/7 access to an experienced Mentor, trained and certified in your chosen subject.

The level of support varies depending on your training programme. When studying for your chosen subject it is essential that you can gauge whether you are really understanding the subject matter or not.

With all our training courses there is an in-built element of testing which ensures you never move forward without understanding the previous lessons first.

Our Online Exam  Support for example, gives you greater tools to ensure that you are fully prepared and ultimately successful when sitting your exams.

It is not just about sitting mock exams - these exams simulate real exam experience. We prepare you fully for the real exams - with immediate response to your tests. 

A small example from a current student completing their CIW Site Designer stage of their training is below:

Test: CIW (1D0-420) Site Designer Passing Score: 75% Customer Score: 98% - Pass - 49/50  Mode: Study Objective Breakdown  * Explain how to develop effective and usable corporate Web sites within a reasonable timeframe. - 100% (5/5)  * Use HTML to create a series of related Web pages that can be deployed as a Web site. - 80% (4/5)  * Use advanced HTML formatting, including tables, frames and CSS, to enhance the usability of Web sites. - 100% (5/5)  * Explain the creation and effective use of graphics for Web sites. - 100% (5/5)  * Define a database, and describe several major types of database management systems. - 100% (4/4)  * Discuss important Internet standards regarding domain names and the overall development of the Internet. - 100% (4/4)  * Create and modify a Web site using various web development applications. - 100% (4/4), etc.....

You can access the Online Exam Support any time day or night . So not only can you work when you want to but you also get immediate feedback to your testing - which allows you to go back to your studies right away and move forward if you are getting the right results - or revise if you are not. 

You don't  have to wait on results coming back to you in days  or weeks, in some cases, with traditional classroom learning.

There are several methods of testing which we cover: Study, Certification, Custom, Adaptive, Missed Question, and Non-Duplicate Question.

These test options  include detailed explanations and references for every test question - so you fully understand the answers - and gain further skills and knowledge of your subject.

On another level you may need to contact a Mentor to assist you with a technical question regarding your training subject.

Good news - your Mentors are available 24 hours, seven days a week also! You access your Mentor online in our virtual university, anytime day or night.

Contacting your Mentor is easy. All contact is by chat room email. We have found in the past that telephone contact just doesn't work. 

If you are having to write down your request, you have to think about it more clearly to explain it. This sometimes results in that ahh haa moment when you get the answer yourself!

When your request is received it is directed to a trained Mentor in your field. Rather than a quick glib answer over the telephone, when your Mentor has your request in front of him he can then answer it fully - and if necessary find out further information for you.

By using the Chat Room Email in this way you can have a documented written response to your requests which you can refer back to.

When you are on the virtual university you can access further information to assist you with your studies.

For example, we have recently had interviews online with some of the top names in IT such as Ken Getz (a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) technical expert and writer), Ray Horak (internationally acclaimed author, industry analyst, and lecturer) and Derek Melber (Top MCSE writer of “Exam Cram” series of MCSE books) to name but a few.

These video interviews can be accessed online at any time giving you insights into the industry and the technical expertise you need to become a Professional.

You may also receive daily training emails containing realistic scenarios and problems for you to solve. This will help you deal with real life problems and issues regarding your study subject.

Access to over 400 IT book titles in our Technical Library is also available. This library is constantly updated and new titles are being added every month. 

You are able to search the library using advanced searches, bookmark places and personalise your library. There are even interactive graphics, codes and illustrations to assist you with your learning.

You can also go online and enter a Discussion Group and chat with other students about your studies, go into the FAQ sections, get further information in the web links, get tools, tips and fixes to download and a host of other material and information all designed to help and assist you with your studies - any time - day or night!

There can be a large gap between studying for your exams and being prepared for your exams. 

Using our training material and support methods you find out what you know  - BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR EXAMS. So we make sure we bridge that gap by providing you with the most up to date testing methods available - that's why our students are more successful!

We want you to know that once you have made the decision to get Certified with ITlearneasy you will have the tools to ensure you succeed.

At ITlearneasy we are so confident in the training material and the testing methods that we offer our Pass Guarantee with all of our Certification training, from beginners levels through to highly technical advanced training courses -- so you can be confident that your training is an investment in your future - no matter what field you choose to study in.

Another subject we have many questions about is funding and we always try to assist potential students choose the best payment methods to suit their budget.

 ITlearneasy have many different ways to help you fund your training and our advice would be based on several factors including your personal circumstances, training level and subject. 

For some students our advice may be to do one Stage at a time using the Fast Track training and starting at the basics, for others it would be more economical to complete a Career Development training route to ensure the complete course is funded at once.

You can pay for your training in advance using cheque or Visa, Solo, Mastercard, American Express, Delta and Switch cards.

You can also pay for certain training courses by Interest Free Payments which spreads the fees at no extra cost to you.

A great deal of our students however, use Career Development Loans (CDL)  to fund their training.

ITlearneasy are registered with the DfES to assist with CDL funding.

If you are in employment you would pay a small deposit (which can be spread over several months) and then 80% of your course fees would be supported by the CDL.

If you are unemployed, 100% CDL funding is available. 

New Deal funding is also available to those not in full time employment.

UK IT skills sector shows signs of growth in 2004 IT Skills Research, the IT training sector think tank, has announced that the UK IT skills sector, on which it gathers quarterly financial data, has indicated a return to growth for the first time in three years and that 2003 financial results are proving to be slightly better than expected. Source: http://www.itskillsresearch.co.uk

We often get asked about monthly payments - over 2 years for example. The honest answer is that we can provide this funding, but we feel that because of the very high interest rates we have to charge, it is not economical for you, the student - so we do not offer it.

As interest rates are currently so low, you would be better off arranging your own funding through a bank loan or low interest (or zero percent) credit card if you wished to spread your payments over a longer period like this.

ITlearneasy are also registered to provide  funding to servicemen and women  through  the Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme (ELC).

Funding is also available using ITlearneasy in areas of Wales using  Education and Learning Wales (ELWa) to assist individuals who have recently been made redundant.

You can see too from our web site that we have many companies and organisations fund their staff through our training. 

If your company will fund your training simply supply your company details and a Purchase Order number and we will do the rest. 

Note too that all our fees include VAT so this will reduce the cost to your company by 17.5% overall.

On another note, we are pleased to announce the winner of our Euro 2004 Prize Draw (it all seems like a long time ago now doesn't it!)

Congratulations goes out to Mr M Farkash of Pembrokeshire.

If you are still unsure about anything we have covered today or indeed need advice on the best training route for you - or the best methods of funding, please call our training centre on 01342 837778.

Alternatively, complete our Enquiry Form to arrange an informal chat by email or telephone with your Personal Course Advisor.

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Copyright © 2005 Digitech Training Limited trading as ITlearneasy. No part of this document shall be reproduced in any way without the express written consent of the Managing Director of Digitech Training Limited. The information therein is for the personal use of the individual and may not without express permission be incorporated in commercial programs of any type, including web sites, books, guides, databases, or any kind of software or electronic transmission.

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