Cyberschuul, Nigeria's pioneer IT training centre has announced plans to expand the scope of its programmes so that a wider segment of the Nigerian society can benefit.

The chief executive officer of the centre, Engr. Titi Omo-Ettu told Vanguard editors last week that the decision to expand the scope of the programmes was informed by the need to accelerate the rate of development of Information Technology in the country.

Hitherto, Cyberschuul had a business plan to teach senior executives, who knew nothing about the computer, some basic skills to enable them use it successfully. The intention was to get them to appreciate what the computer could do and how it could assist their businesses. It was also expected to provide them with adequate skills that will enable them do letters and other simple tasks with the computer.

While appreciating the fact that Cyberschuul's executive programme was a huge success given the feedback from the industry, Engr. Omo-Ettu said Cyberschuul feel obliged to offer some professional training in addition to the executive training so that a wider segment of the industry would be able to benefit from the excellent training at the school.

Beginning from January 1st 2003 therefore, Cyberschuul has started training for professionals in the areas of Engineering, Management, Architecture, Graphics and others. The training is expected to give the professionals in these fields some specialist training which will equip them to practice their professions better. Engr. Omo-Ettu said that with the level of development of IT, there is no endeavour of life that is left out. He said that IT had been so developed that it can be of tremendous help to various professions, increasing the level of efficiency, speed and accuracy.

He said that the school had for instance already started an Oracle training on Human Resource with the Oracle 11i, stressing that that area of Oracle training is an area where Nigeria can excel in the nearest future.

Cyberschuul also offers training on web-site design, an area which he said also offers tremendous opportunities for Nigeria.

Cyberschuul has started to offer training to such professionals as architects, draughtsmen, graphic artists, page-planners and so on. The specialist training in Autocard is expected to improve their skills and bring them up to the standard of their colleagues elsewhere.

Part of the new initiative at Cyberschuul is a reinforcement of its youth development programme. Consequently, the school has started a programme which gives opportunities to students to brush up. Omo-Ettu lamented that most of Nigerian schools do not give adequate training to students because of lack of infrastructure amongst other reasons. The school, he said, is therefore opening a window for students with inadequate training to brush up at the school. This is part of the school's initiative to assist in developing the IT youth.

Beyond this, the school engages youths to develop their IT skills through a competition instituted once in two years to pick an IT Ambassador for the school. The IT Ambassador goes round schools to teach youths how to apply IT.

The award also offers him an opportunity to visit various parts of the world for conferences and seminars to propagate IT.

The unique advantage of the training programme at Cyberschuul is the flexibility which it offers. Aware of the fact that it might be difficult to have all students available for lectures at the day time, the school has offered to create a flexible time schedule that would have a place for everyone. It gives opportunities for students who will be available at night.

The school also has a flexible curriculum. Indeed, Engr. Omo -Ettu told Vanguard editors that clients have an opportunity to state their area of need and the school will design a curriculum to fit that need. Omo-Ettu says that this is a special niche which other IT training centres do not have the skills to provide.

Given the level of training which Cyberschuul now offers, Omo-Ettu says the school will be issuing certificates to their graduates unlike before. The certificates will be acceptable in the industry given the intensity of training for which the school is noted, he assured.