FÁS IT / Networking courses - they worth doin?

unreggd

Has anyone done any of the FÁS computing courses and gotten a job out of it?

What kind of roles could you apply for?

ANY IT related job I see online, they all want a degree

Been lookin at this one:


Computer Network Installation & Maintenance

This course has been designed to provide industry with personnel who are skilled in installing, configuring, upgrading and maintaining computer systems and networks. Learners will be able to manage, maintain, troubleshoot, install and configure basic network infrastructure as well as utilise troubleshooting techniques and tools to resolve PC, OS and network connectivity and security issues.

Certification:
CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment



Any advice is helpful! thanks

onemorechance

unreggd wrote: »

Has anyone done any of the FÁS computing courses and gotten a job out of it?

What kind of roles could you apply for?

ANY IT related job I see online, they all want a degree

Been lookin at this one:


Computer Network Installation & Maintenance

This course has been designed to provide industry with personnel who are skilled in installing, configuring, upgrading and maintaining computer systems and networks. Learners will be able to manage, maintain, troubleshoot, install and configure basic network infrastructure as well as utilise troubleshooting techniques and tools to resolve PC, OS and network connectivity and security issues.

Certification:
CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment



Any advice is helpful! thanks

If you have the time and the interest, you should just do the course. Many jobs require a degree, but every little bit helps. (Short) courses like this are good to start and help you decide if you want to take it further.

Also, despite their very bad press, the intern schemes might be more open to you after this. If you are lucky enough to find one that will let you practice your skills, you can take it from there. As you say, most jobs require a degree, but a course like this and the intern scheme might be a good way to get in somewhere. Once you are in somewhere, they might, or just do it yourself, put you on further courses which can help you progress in the company.

unreggd

Well I just finished up at my job, so I wanna do a course, and this one interests me

I did first year of a computing degree, but it was an information overload. You cover Networking AND programming, so you dont get a chance to concentrate on one or the other

I liked Networking and I have a good knowledge of it. Just wanted to see if anyone else did the course and got even an entry level job. My plan would be to do this course, then continue on and do the Cisco certs and the XP admin one too.

Thanks

bryaner

Have you had a look at thishttp://www.bluebrick.ie/springboard/

unreggd

Sound, thanks

druidhill

I wouldn't advise spending any effort getting certified in Server 2003 (or XP), you would be better off learning 2008. Some of those courses will run into 2013, can't understand what FAS are doing here, to be honest.

Also, information overload can also occur when you are only studying one subject area.

Most students find programming much more difficult to grasp than something like networking in the first year of a computer degree course, so they naturally lean towards the networking side, and stay well clear of programming, or do just enough to get through it. This is not the same as having a dislike for programming, so make sure you have given it a real chance.

Perhaps you should give the programming / software development side a rethink (have you done a job search of both areas recently?), or even going back to get your degree. Bigger companies tend to look for that degree.

unreggd

Nope, the course was opposite

Did loads of programming, and zero networking. All the courses have the same first year, then you decide to do Networking or Programming from 2nd year on

But either choice you make, you're still doin both e.g IT Management still do loads of programming, and programming still do all the networkin modules

I liked programming, and I was good at it, but its the whole degree / career I changed my mind about

I thought cert courses were good for gettin entry level tech support jobs, but I havent seen anything in months that doesnt need a degree

unreggd

druidhill wrote: »

I wouldn't advise spending any effort getting certified in Server 2003 (or XP), you would be better off learning 2008. Some of those courses will run into 2013, can't understand what FAS are doing here, to be honest.

The info regarding Server 2003 / 2008 is diff on diff areas of the site

Heres whats on the main site form:

Course Certification
CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration or Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

Modules:
CAREER PLANNING AND JOB SEEKING SKILLS
COMPTIA A+ ESSENTIALS 2009
COMPTIA A+ PRACTICAL APPLICATION 2009
COMPTIA NETWORK+ 2009
IN-COMPANY
INDUCTION
WINDOWS SERVER 2008 ACTIVE DIRECTORY CONFIGURATION

Is that the same area of Server 2008 you were talkin about?


Thanks

Kinetic^

I know several people who have done the course and have gone on to get entry level jobs and worked their way up. It's a good start and the work placement for 1 month you do at the end of it may see you get offered a job if you're lucky.

druidhill

Kinetic^ wrote: »

I know several people who have done the course and have gone on to get entry level jobs and worked their way up. It's a good start and the work placement for 1 month you do at the end of it may see you get offered a job if you're lucky.

How recent have these people completed the course? I know this was the experience of participants up to a few years ago (recruitment agencies used to contact them in the training centres even), however that has since changed due to the current climate.

The jobbridge scheme and a further FAS blended learning course awaits almost all of the participants now (according to a recent participant of one of these courses that I spoke to recently).

Would be great if anyone who has completed this course over the last few months would chime in with their experiences.

Ruxjit

Anyone else do this course (Computer Network Installation & Maintenance) recently?

I've been call to do it starting Monday, it's 8 months long and I have planned to head over to OZ for work in December. I've been told it's drawn out to keep people off the live register. Is it worth staying to completing the course?

I have decided to start the course because I don't want to it knocked off my job seekers, I'll probably be just dropping out when I have to go. But I don't like to start something and not finish.

Would I be knocked off my Job Seekers Allowance if I didn't attend the course? How long would it take the Department of social-welfare to chase me up on the matter?

Thanks in advance

Chairman Meow

Ruxjit wrote: »

Anyone else do this course (Computer Network Installation & Maintenance) recently?

I've been call to do it starting Monday, it's 8 months long and I have planned to head over to OZ for work in December. I've been told it's drawn out to keep people off the live register. Is it worth staying to completing the course?

I have decided to start the course because I don't want to it knocked off my job seekers, I'll probably be just dropping out when I have to go. But I don't like to start something and not finish.

Would I be knocked off my Job Seekers Allowance if I didn't attend the course? How long would it take the Department of social-welfare to chase me up on the matter?

Thanks in advance

I did it back in 2004. Great course and it set me on the road to a good career in IT at a time when i had zero qualifications to my name. 8 months might sound like a long time but it isnt 'to keep the numbers on the live register down'. The N+ covers all aspects of networking and is fairly full on. Awful lot of stuff to take on board, combined with the A+, 8 months was just about enough time.

Kinet1c

druidhill wrote: »

How recent have these people completed the course? I know this was the experience of participants up to a few years ago (recruitment agencies used to contact them in the training centres even), however that has since changed due to the current climate.

The jobbridge scheme and a further FAS blended learning course awaits almost all of the participants now (according to a recent participant of one of these courses that I spoke to recently).

Would be great if anyone who has completed this course over the last few months would chime in with their experiences.

It would've been 2009 and a few did go on to do work placements for ~6 months.