Frances Ovia-George
8 August 2007
Lagos — Following the impressive records set in the fast growing information technology (IT) training sector by New Horizons Computer Learning Centre, the financial institutions have come out strongly to endorse the institution as the best IT literacy learning centre in Nigeria in terms of quality training, contents and mode of delivery.
According to a cross section of various financial institution executives who have been trained by the learning centre, New Horizons ranks ahead of other IT literacy institutions, which are offering corporate training.
Speaking on the quality of instructors, product portfolio, learning environment and customer service, the respondents averred that the school has world class facilities, which has endeared it to corporate individuals and institutions.
Drawn from the insurance, banking and issuing houses across the nation, the respondents scored the school high and give precise comment on classroom, training content, instructor, how the training immediate imparted their jobs, how the training meet their expectation and number of personal computers.
On account of its position in the e-business training market, most of the financial institutions (banks, insurance, and discount houses) have become corporate clients of the learning centres. They include Access Bank, Diamond Bank, Express Discount, FCMB, Fidelity
Bank, FirstBank, First Inland Bank, and Guaranty Trust Assurance.
Others include Nigerian Police Force Community Bank, IBTC Chartered, Intercontinental Bank, Oceanic Bank, Standard Chartered, UBA Group and InterSwitch Limited.
According to Mr. Tim Akano, the Managing Director of the learning centre, most of the financial institutions come into the centre for training in e-business, security and Oracle Certification. He said
New Horizons' e-business courses that endeared it to the financial institutions include Customer Relation Management, Supply Chain Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Cyber Marketing, Wireless Network Architect, e-Commerce Architect, Project Management, Disaster Recovery, Storage Area Network, Business Intelligence and Cyber Law.
For the security training, he said New Horizons offers financial institutions courses such as Certified Ethical Hackers, Linux Security, Network Security and e-Business Security.
New Horizons has a wide product portfolio with over 30 course content targeted at the corporate executives, particularly banks. This was also corroborated by several respondents who have, at one time or the other, been trained by New Horizons' instructors. The comparison lent credence to this fact.
The company has consistently outperformed benchmark peer IT training companies in instructor performance, courseware quality and facility satisfaction. Over 70% of the new knowledge and skills these people have learnt at New Horizons is applied on the job within the first eight weeks.
According to the respondents New Horizons training has yielded a 4:1 benefit-to-cost ratio relative to the predicted increase in performance, which is tied to a standard salary classification. Majority of these people would recommend the school to others, while 44% of the bankers spent their time on the job using the new knowledge and skills gained in the school.
One of the respondents, Mr. Oni Abiodun, Group Head, IT, First City Monument Bank, said that in the bank's quest to raise the bar in financial services delivery in Nigeria , it is quick to identify skills and competencies for our technology as a key lever.
"We sought to partner with only standard organisation to actualize this goal, and we are happy to note that we have found New Horizons as a worthy partner in this regard on all counts".
Also Mrs. Nkwopara Ify, Head, Curriculum Development and Manpower, FirstBank, stated that the programmes run by New Horizons "address fundamental issues in the industry and in the economy. It is also at soft skills training which promote personal effectiveness".
Head, Enterprise Software, First Inland Bank, Mr. Aikhuele Theo said that the training and experience received at the "New Horizons training centre surpassed all that I have been exposed to in other vendors in Nigeria to date."
Echoing his view was the Senior Manager, IT Group of Oceanic Bank International, Mr. Collins Elumogo . He opined that "I am very pleased with the classes and teaching staff". On the question of course content and delivery, he said that excellence in its delivery is world class.
Chima Okereke , system integrator at Fidelity Bank said "New Horizon has performed at a consistently higher level than others and this I see as a mark of true professionalism. Because past performances produce present privileges, I regard New Horizon as a place of knowledge for the new people and the future world."
Mr. Gabriel Akpan , Network Administrator at Nextzon Business Services Limited also spoke on the conducive learning environment provided at the centre. He said
"New Horizons provide an atmosphere that is a pointer to knowledge acquisition delivery in an easy flowing manner, that makes the participants to be at ease, and the facilitator to appear extremely friendly and professional".
According to 2005 IDC Report, New Horizons is the number one IT training institution in the world. it is present in over 60 countries and it is the largest training partner to Microsoft Incorporation. Its Nigeria arm is under the headship of Akano and has initiated several world-class collaborations among which is the partnership between it and Skye bank to provide over N100 million-worth ICT laboratories in one of the private universities.
The Nigeria centre was established in 2005 and within two years it has outran and outsmart other IT training centres in its category in terms of quality of delivery and clientele portfolio. Aside, it has also won several awards which include Titans of Tech.
As a result of its international affiliation, New Horizons has an undue advantage of having trained more banks staff and corporate individuals more than any other IT learning centres in Nigeria . In the ranking of the top Microsoft Partners for learning solutions, 13 out of the top 20 training providers listed were New Horizons centres.
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