Whitecliffe fosters careers for the future of tech

Thu, 30th Jun 2022

FYI, this story is more than a year old

By Tori Picton, Marketing and Communications Assistant, Whitecliffe

Do you want a career in Information Technology, Networking, Web Development, Software Development, or are you looking to upskill? Start or continue your studies with programmes from Certificate to Postgraduate level specifically designed to help you stay relevant and meet the demands of the growing IT industry. Whitecliffe's Bachelor of Applied Information Technology is accredited by ITPNZ and aligns with the Seoul Accord providing you with international recognition.

Driven by the growth of the tech industry and significant skill shortages, the Information Technology field is desperately seeking qualified professionals. The more skills you have and the higher your qualification level, the more employment opportunities will be available to you.

To address the significant skill shortages within IT, the Government have put forward The Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), an initiative that provides aspiring Information Technology change-makers with fees-free education and training for Level 4-6 programmes. While this is only valid until December 31 2022, Whitecliffe has decided to offer a 50% tuition fees scholarship to all applicants, enabling them to complete a full-year fees-free for all sub-degree programmes (Level 4-6). The July 2022 intake will be the last opportunity to take advantage of this.

The programmes offered at Whitecliffe's School of Information Technology are designed with industry partners to ensure our qualifications are aligned with industry standards.

What fees-free programmes are available to study, and where can they take you?

Study a Level 4: Certificate in IT Essentials programme fees-free and gain relevant skills such as:

Knowledge and concepts of business analysis.
Database, project management and planning tools.
Professional, ethical and legal principles and practices.
Excellent communication skills.

After successfully completing the Certificate in IT Essentials programme, you will be eligible to progress to Whitecliffe's Bachelor of Applied Information Technology, Diploma in IT - Technical Support or Diploma in Web Development + Design.

If you choose not to progress to higher studies, you will be prepared for a range of roles in the tech industry, such as a support technician. According to careers.govt.nz, job opportunities for a career as a support technician are high, with salaries paying between $55,000 and $71,000 per year depending on experience.

Study a Level 5: Certificate in Information Technology programme fees-free and gain relevant skills such as:

Managing hardware and software resources.
Project management and planning skills.
Effective interpersonal skills.
Experience with developing programmes and web interfaces.
Designing a basic infrastructure solution.

After successfully completing the Certificate in Information Technology programme, you will be eligible to progress to Whitecliffe's Bachelor of Applied Information Technology, Diploma in IT -Technical Support or Diploma in Web Development + Design.

If you choose not to progress to higher studies, you will be prepared for a range of roles in the tech industry, such as a junior programmer.

According to careers.govt.nz, job opportunities for a career as a junior programmer are high, with salaries paying between $50,000 and $80,000 per year depending on experience.

Study a Level 5: Diploma in Information Technology: Technical Support programme fees-free and gain relevant skills such as:

Broad operational knowledge of networking and associated services and technologies to meet typical organisational requirements.
Configuring and administering systems and applications to meet typical organisational IT support requirements.
Broad operational knowledge of database administration to meet typical organisational data storage and retrieval requirements.
Troubleshooting and resolving a range of common system problems using appropriate tools and procedures.
Identifying issues related to IT security and applying a range of solutions.
Demonstrating an operational common knowledge and understanding of IT service management to meet typical organisational customer service requirements.

After successfully completing the Diploma in IT - Technical Support programme, you will be eligible to progress to year two of the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology or to our Diploma in Networking.

If you choose not to progress to higher studies, you will be prepared for a range of roles in the tech industry, such as a customer service engineer.

According to AbsoluteIT, job opportunities for a career as a Customer Service Engineer are high, with salaries paying between $60,000 and $85,000 per year, depending on experience.

Study a Level 5: Diploma in Web Development + Design programme fees-free and gain relevant skills such as:

Determining, preparing and presenting solutions that meet client requirements.
Writing scripts appropriate to implement and customise a solution package using frameworks and libraries.
Designing and implementing interfaces to enhance user experience and functionality.
Selecting, installing, and configuring appropriate plug-in modules to supplement functionality to meet organisational requirements.
Testing functionality and usability.
Implementing, configuring, and publishing tested web solutions.

After successfully completing the Diploma in Web Development + Design programme, you will be eligible to progress to year two of the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology or to our Diploma in Software Development.

If you choose not to progress to higher studies, you will be prepared for a range of roles in the tech industry, such as a user experience (UX) designer. According to careers.govt.nz, job opportunities for UX designers are high, and they usually earn between $90,000 and $130,000 per year, with senior designers usually earning between $105,000 and $150,000.

Study a Level 6: Diploma in Networking programme fees-free and gain relevant skills such as:

Applying advanced wireless and switching configuration and troubleshooting techniques to resolve switching and routing issues for organisational networks.
Applying routing configurations and troubleshooting techniques to implement and maintain networks.
Analysing the impact of convergence on network infrastructure and implement unified communications to maintain acceptable organisation service levels.
Applying specialised knowledge of networking protocols and technologies to configure, maintain and monitor networks.
Analysing and implementing advanced network security to protect and secure assets and to meet best practices and organisational requirements.
Analysing networking performance scenarios and recommending remedial actions to maintain acceptable organisation service levels.
Analysing and documenting requirements for routing, switching and server infrastructure to support IT infrastructure planning.
Applying IT service management and change management processes and procedures to comply with organisational requirements.

After successfully completing the Diploma in Networking programme, you will be eligible to progress to year three of the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology.

If you choose not to progress to higher studies, you will be prepared for a range of roles in the tech industry, such as a network engineer. According to careers.govt.nz, job opportunities for a career as a network engineer are high, with salaries paying between $80,000 and $140,000 depending on experience.

Study a Level 6: Diploma in Software Development programme fees-free and gain relevant skills such as:

Analysing requirements, designing, and documenting software solutions for a range of problems in an organisational context.
Writing and maintaining programs using design patterns, data structures and algorithms to meet specifications.
Applying a range of software quality assurance techniques to verify the correctness of systems.
Applying data management and storage technologies to support the software application and the development process.
Establishing application security by integrating security principles throughout software development to ensure system integrity.
Applying architecture, technologies, and tools, to implement the software solution.
Applying IT technical support concepts and practice to manage hardware and software resources to meet organisational requirements in a software development context.
Implementing industry-standardised testing methods.

After successfully completing the Diploma in Software Development programme, you will be eligible to progress to year three of the Bachelor of Applied Information Technology.

If you choose not to progress to higher studies, you will be prepared for a range of roles in the tech industry, such as a software tester. According to careers.govt.nz, job opportunities for software testers are high. Software testers usually earn between $80,0000 and $110,000 a year, and senior test analysts usually earn $100,000 to $130,000 a year. In addition, lead test analysts can earn $120,000 to $200,000.

Help rebuild, advance, and shape the future of New Zealand's technology industry. Regardless of where you are in your studies or career, Whitecliffe has a valuable programme for you. Create meaningful change in a rewarding and recognised role. Apply now.

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