About this project  


The Need

It is recognised that there are significant blockages preventing the effective and widespread uptake of ICT and e-business amongst small and micro-businesses.

  • Hardware and software suppliers are not engaged in delivering working solutions
  • Conventional training is not suited to small businesses that need to acquire ‘just in time’ know how as opposed to ‘just in case’ skills
  • Standard vocational and vendor training offerings are typically too long and not specific relative to business need
  • Short sharp ‘problem’ solving involving product specific ‘know how’ is needed
  • Not all businesses and employees are ready to learn in the same mode
  • These issues exist worldwide and certainly not exclusive to particular UK regions

The Response

The aim of www.my-IT.info is to help small businesses to do useful things that meet or transform real business requirements ‘on demand’; for example

  • Making the most of office software - such as creating a mail shot
  • Submitting a statutory return - such as VAT
  • Using the internet and broadband for business
  • Getting connected - wired or wireless
  • Taking care with technology

This ‘know how’ will sometimes link to formal learning opportunities such as:

  • General IT understanding – such as IC3
  • Product knowledge – such as Microsoft Office Specialist, Sage training
  • Content and web skills – such as Macromedia Dreamweaver

The technical level of the material will be very basic, aimed at those with little or no knowledge of ICT or the internet - but with a good knowledge of business practices. To support a range of situations and learning styles, the materials can be delivered through a variety of media, including web access, service centre facilitation and taught delivery.

The Pilot

Yorkshire Forward invested in a pilot for the My-IT concept in 2005. The pilot tested a range of content styles with typical target clients as well as validating the approach with industry leaders and established business ICT users.

As you can see from the Pilot Questionnaire, the response was very positive, encouraging us to take My-IT to the next stage by adding more ‘guides’ on new topics. E-Tendering is the first new topic, added in December 2005.

www.My-IT.info was designed by QR8 and the pilot materials were developed by:

Centre of Vocational Excellence at Selby College

IT Foundry at Sheffield Hallam University

NTI Humber, York & North Yorkshire

NTI West Yorkshire

Sero Consulting

If you have any comments or suggestions about this pilot site, ples use our suggestions form.