Colin Steed

It's the IT Training Awards at the Dorchester on Thursday and I have been writing my speech. It's always difficult to come up with something new, so I decided to consider how the standards in the IT training industry have changed in the 13 years that the IT Training Awards have been running.

Looking through the submissions as well as the Judging Panel's reports on each award what came through loud and clear is how the standards of quality and professionalism in IT training have risen each year - and this year seems to be at an all time high.

It is true to say that all of the shortlisted submissions would have won a Gold Award even 5 years ago.

Interestingly, and to confim the point conclusively, the Judging Panel for one of the categories - Trainer of the Year - commented in the report:

"The winners of both the Bronze and Silver Awards would have definitely won the Gold Award in previous years..."

And

"The Gold Award winner was without doubt the best example of a high quality, professional trainer that the Judges had ever seen in over 10 years judging this category."

I would like to think that the Institute can take much of the credit for this continual rise in  standards in IT training but of course we must congratulate all those training professionals who have taken up the challenge and made IT training a true profession.