Victoria pulls Linux training course out of the Hat

Apr 07, 2005: A new training course has been launched in Victoria to help turn around the shortfall in skilled workers needed to address the Linux operating systems inside small and medium sized businesses.

The Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Marsha Thomson, said the new course at the Chisholm Institute of TAFE is needed because of the open source Linux operating system is becoming more popular as competition in the ICT industry increases.

"With the ICT industry becoming more advanced everyday, it is vital that skills and knowledge of system operators keep in step with these developments. Chisholm Institute of TAFE is leading the way be becoming the first Victorian TAFE institute and only the second in Australia to offer vendor-endorsed Red Hat Linux training."

"Teaching staff were the first to undertake the Red Hat tailored training program and from term 2 this year they will begin passing on these skills to students through a range of short courses."

Thomson believes that the course will have large advantages for the ICT industry, as well as for small and medium sized businesses.

"The training will help address the shortage of Linux technicians, which is a particular impediment for small and medium businesses wanting to adopt the Linux operating system.

"In addition, the IT sector places a high priority on vendor training. Students engage in practical 'break and fix' tests on real systems giving them a significant advantage in terms of qualifications which puts them in a prime position for future employment."

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