Training in the IT sector: advice to choose the right course

Every industry needs an IT expert to run its business. Today, whether you are a graduate, a student in higher education, or an individual entrepreneur, you can train yourself, provided you find the right education for you. To help you in this process, follow our advice to make a choice for the future.

IT courses open to all

In order to enable students without experience to enter the professional world, there are institutes that offer courses in the IT sector. These centers have their own admission requirements. Everyone's motivation may be different, as there are those who want to go further and become experts in a field, and there are those who want to retrain to change professions. Today, IT is omnipresent in all sectors of activity. With this strong presence, everyone has to adapt to technological change. Access to information, banking transactions, and commerce requires an Internet connection. Due to this digital transition, universities and several specialized centers have equipped themselves with standard infrastructures to offer a course of study for young people. In France, to reduce the unemployment rate and help young graduates, information and communication technology companies are joining forces to create a specialized center. Among these centers is the employment village, which offers courses in various IT trades. The sessions last less than a year and are open to all young people from different backgrounds. Today, people who have chosen this path are more confident because these institutes offer immediate employment. If you are interested in this winning formula, you can click on job village and find a trade in the IT sector.

How do I choose between initial training (FI) and continuing education (CE)?

Specialization in computer science is open to all fields, whether you are literary or scientific. If you have just passed your baccalaureate, you can choose between initial preparation or continuing education. There are also work-study programs, which offer an internship in a company at the same time. The initial preparation is more advantageous for young baccalaureat holders who wish to explore the basics of the computer science profession. The length of the program depends on each institution, your level of study and the degree you will obtain. The FI leads to a university qualification, recognized by the State. The degree obtained may be a Bachelor's degree (Bac +3), Master's degree or specialized Master's degree, or a federal diploma or professional titles. The continuous session is rather a formula intended for people who already have a diploma and who wish to reconvert to another profession, or simply to improve their performance. Courses are held outside working hours and most modules are paid for. Employee-students can ask their employer for an adjustment of working hours. At the end of the course, the student obtains a diploma, which sometimes leads to a specialized Master's degree.

Specialized institutes in computer science

Appreciated by professionals, specialized institutions offer modular sessions focused on a specific topic. Among the modules offered are :

• office automation courses on the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and accounting and management software ;
• basic courses on the Internet, creation of websites using the usual CMS (Content Management System) software;
• courses of practical training in DTP (Computer Aided Design) and CAD (Computer Aided Drafting);
• professional preparations leading to a diploma in computer engineering or a BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur).

Courses in these specialized institutions are, in the majority, paid, and are the only ones to train to the profession of computer scientist in the framework of a high level higher education, with a diploma approved by the State. The aim is to prepare young people to master a trade, open their own business and start working as individual entrepreneurs. To be admitted, candidates must have a baccalaureate level, a good computer culture and develop at least one research project. A first experience in the field is also appreciated.

Professional reintegration courses

In order to enhance your skills and experience, in the absence of a diploma, it is possible thanks to the professional reorientation contract. These are higher education studies dedicated to people who have left university before completing an undergraduate degree. A failure that affects a proportion of students, so that the general rise in the level causes a restriction of young non-graduates on the labor market. To remedy this situation, some centers offer apprenticeship or vocational retraining contracts. These courses can be provided by universities. A course accessible from a DEUG (Diploma of General University Studies) or a DUT (University Diploma of Technology). Courses are open including in the IT sector. These institutions train apprentices from all sectors or who have spent a year at university. There are preparatory classes that give disoriented students the chance to take part in the apprenticeship course. Spaces are limited, so those without diplomas may not have access to one of these bridges. But with labour shortages, institutions are reinventing the no-degree qualification. One such institution is the Pôle Emploi, which works with centers and develops skills tests. The project is supported by the State, with the aim of ensuring the succession of new workers. Sometimes companies finance the program and select students by reorienting them into several trades to provide high-level employees.

Business initiatives: the employment village center or VDE

Committed to the fight for employment, information system companies represent a professional sector in its own right, and offer high-level education leading to a diploma. These partner companies have created the VDE initiative with the aim of facilitating young people's access to jobs in information and communication technologies. The courses are open to young people from all fields. To enroll, contact one of the centers located in the regions. The preparation lasts 9 months, and includes complete immersions at all levels. Teaching related to professional techniques divided into different specializations such as AMO (Assistant Project Manager) which trains consultants, Business Intelligence which trains analysts, developers and database managers, New Technologies and Development expert which leads to web development projects and a module for the production and operations manager. The learning method uses cutting-edge techniques and is provided by experts in the field. Winners who have completed the preparation are directly hired by companies in the sector. The apprenticeship is free of charge and leads to a job, for which the candidate receives the same salary as an expert manager.