Could you provide a brief background of NIIT?

NIIT is the global IT Learning Solutions Corporation and is known for its pioneering work in the field of IT Education and Training. The company has spent over two decades innovating, refining and fine tuning its offerings to suit the needs of students, professionals and employers. NIIT has vast education delivery network spread in America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Australia/Oceania. Our initiatives, aimed at narrowing the Digital Divide across the world, have helped people gain access to IT knowledge and enjoy the benefits that technology brings to ordinary lives.

What is the scope of its operations worldwide?

In the last 25 years, NIIT has touched 3 million learners, across the globe through its education network. Offering Learning and Knowledge Solutions to companies and individuals in 30 countries, NIIT also provides computer education to 1.4 million school students from over 3800 government and private schools.

International Data Management Services Ltd., NIIT's Master Franchisee Partner for Nigeria started its operations in Sept 1999 with the launch of its centre in Ikeja in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. Today, after 7 years of operations, NIIT has 21 centres across the nation and has achieved the status of the largest computer institute in Nigeria.

As far as scope is concerned, Nigerian Population is to be transformed to IT Knowledge Force and this would be the solution to many challenges being faced.

Could you give us more information about International Data Management services Ltd.?

IDM Services Ltd. incorporated in 1981 is a Total Management Solution Company. It provides a wide spectrum of Industrial Management Services relating to identification of projects, project structuring, mobilization of finance, project implementation, and operational management and consulting services to management in the public sector.

The core competency of IDM is to facilitate wide professional management services for industrial, service and manufacturing operations in Africa. IDM strength lies in its multi faceted approach to diverse IT Solutions & Services both in the software and education & training. The IDM group brings together an experienced and outstanding group of consultants in varied disciplines from Europe, Asia, Africa and the America.

Who is your target audience and whatsolutions are offered to each of them?

Our suite of education programs encompass every kind of learnerfrom a young person taking his first step into the world of computers, to a student seeking a career in IT, to a professional gaining cutting-edge technology skills.

For career seekers we have DNIIT, DNIIT (Hons), Multimedia, Software Entrepreneur, and Master Mind Series of programs. At entry level Office suite, Desktop Publishing (DTP) and literacy programs are best. NIIT is equipping learners & corporate with skills in cutting edge technology platforms for International Certifications from Microsoft, Sun Java, Oracle and Comptia. After the DNIIT (Hons) course of 2 and half years one can apply for BSc (Hons) in computing and Practice from Open University of United Kingdom.

Tell us more about NIIT's career program, which offer students a path to International Degrees? Mapped to internationally recognized certifications, the DNIIT (Hons) course structure has been designed to train students on Software & Network domain from start to finish. A student has a choice to pursue either the software or the network practice and specialize on .NET or J2EE technology in Software or Microsoft or Linux platform in Network Stream. The Open University of UK has credited this program with 240 credits.

Thus the student would obtain 120 Credits. After successful completion of the Top-Up Program, the student will be awarded with BSc (Hons) in Computing and its Practice by the Open University of the United Kingdom.
NIIT Faculty specially trained on The Open University's curriculum and teaching methodology would conduct the program.

What distinguishes NIIT from other similar IT Learning Centres?

Differentiators are many, right from NIIT Education & Training Methodology to Delivery of Quality. Centre for Research in Cognitive Sciences (CRCS), a research wing of NIIT, is behind developing the proprietary teaching methodology called 'LACC'. Besides what is taught in NIIT is relevant and is endorsed by the Corporate/ Industrial world. Hence, an NIITian is productive from day one in the work place.

This has made the Certificate from NIIT a distinction in itself. At this point of time, no one is close to our size and quality. Our content development facility was the first in the world to be assessed and certified at the SEI CMM Level 5.

NIIT's Learning Architecture based on Collaborative Constructivism (LACC) methodology has the following learning components: Construct: The learning begins with this component. An instructor who is a subject matter expert leads the students on the foundation of the concept. This component introduces the learner to new concepts and thereby constructing his/her strong knowledge base.
Collaborate:

The next learning component makes it possible for the learner to have contextual familiarity on the subject through collaborative learning. Here the learner is provided with a mentor/direction/ and stimulus for reflective observation. The learner is provided with a rich choice of tools like case studies, scenario/problem statements and best practices to reflect on the concepts learnt in the previous sessions and apply his/her understanding in the larger context.

Experiment: Here, the learner is exposed to active experimentation. The learner experiments his/her understanding of the concepts and observations to form a logical conclusion leading to better learning effectiveness and experience.Apply: This learning component provides the environment for learners to develop conceptual clarity. Here the learner learns, refers, compares, thinks and applies his/her entire knowledge spectrum and creates solutions for a real life case study. The tools used to provide such learning are project, information search and analysis skills (ISAS) and reference reading (RR).
At NIIT student passes through this learning methodology and have definite edge over the other. Thus they are trained to perform better in life.

How is a prospective student, professional, beginner etc able to make an informed and appropriate choice of career/ course to pursue?

We at NIIT have different programs for different people, which are linked to the purpose and the requirement of the prospective learner. At every centre, we have counselors who are well trained to guide the people looking for a suitable program. Our aptitude test, which is administered on each student, acts as an aid to the counselors in guiding the learner to make a decision for the program.

The holistic approach is that the candidate must draw the benefits of the program and improve his career prospects.

What are currently the “hottest” career prospects, locally and internationally, for students who have successfully passed through NIIT?

NIIT students from Nigeria have found employment with various blue chip organizations as software programmers, database and IT administrators and various other positions in filed of IT. Many have turned out to be successful entrepreneurs, leading IT establishments in Nigeria. The career projections are hot in IT Solution Organizations, significant in Bank & Insurance Companies, Industrial & Manufacturing units and in every business. Software & Hardware industry itself is experiencing quantum jump in Nigeria.

We find NIITians participating & contributing to this very success. Our students from Nigeria are working in large corporations even outside the country such as America and Europe.

NIIT has strong alliances with organizations such as Microsoft and Oracle. Analysed individually, how have these alliances helped in developing students in the environment?

NIIT is the only authorized partner of Oracle (under WDP arrangement) in Africa and also has strong alliances with Microsoft. These collaborations open the doors for skills set development on some of the most popular software offerings and technologies.

NIIT, in its endeavor to offer its clients the best and most appropriate IT solution has established mutually beneficial partnerships with prestigious Universities and IT Corporations. The product and services offered under these relationships gives our clients a unique advantage in finding its total IT training solution from an IT institution with a global footprint.

NIIT has been conferred the “Excellence in CTEC Training Award” by Microsoft. This is the highest award conferred on a Certified Technical Education Centre (CTEC) partner by Microsoft across Asia. Besides being a CTEC, NIIT is also Microsoft's only Premier Education and Training partner.

NIIT have the credentials and the means to have trained over 25,000 Microsoft Certified Professionals through NIIT centres. NIIT is the first independent Courseware Developer for Microsoft. NIIT is an Authorized Education Partner for Oracle Corp in various countries in the Middle East, West Asia and Africa (including South Africa). This partnership creates the opportunity of expanding the market for Oracle Certified Professional. This alliance has opened the doors for freshmen to take advantage of this highly sort after qualification. Under this alliance courseware developed by NIIT and Oracle is used to meet the outcomes of Oracle Certification. Participation certification is jointly awarded by NIIT and Oracle.