ILA Account (money to learn)

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ILA Scotland is available to people who have an income of £18,000 a year or less and are age 16 or over, and is a government scheme to encourgae people to learn more, and allow £200 per year towards the cost of further education... It has to be courses 'they' recognise through there course search function on their site.

There are colleges all around Scotland, and different courses (Microsoft included) and I seen many CompTIA A+ courses. Some were over £1000, but there was an online CompTIA A+ course from Aberdeen college for £210 that you do in your own time (self-study), so I'd only have a tenner to pay all good, and feels more professional doing it 'with' a college - or learning with a college I should say, because either way, even though I'd get a certificate from them on completion of the course - I'd still have to sit the industry recognised exam regardless for it to be taken seriously from what I've heard from various people

One question I'd have is would it be worthwhile to spend my annual account money on this. Like would it be more recognised by learning the material through a recognised college (even though it is online) or would it just be better to self study - sit the industry recognised exam, and use the £200 for something else, which could benefit me more in the long run? IE: do self study CompTIA A+ and use some of the £200 to do advanced maths, or algebra or something like that

 

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Firstly, you're lucky you still have ILA's as they were closed down to the rest of us some time ago :

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ila/



Secondly, (to answer your point) it depends. You will see that the main thrust of this forum is to show people that you can self study at a fraction of the cost of courses. However, you do need a certain discipline for this and for some people, they just don't suit it.

Now if you fall into the latter category then you're going to be shelling out a lot of money for training unless you find an employer willing to pay.

You don't say what IT experience you have so that may be a factor as well. Have you decided for definite on an IT career ? Any experience already ? Any particular area of interest ?

These are all factors to take into account. So, before you rush to spend your ILA money I would suggest some serious thinking about what you want to do.

 

This is what I'm definitly doing. I've already bought a spare PC, and currently reading the Mike Meyers AIO guide, but just wondering if it's an advantage of having down on the CV that I studyied "with" Aberdeen College, as opposed to say self study - even though the both are self study. Does college certificates of comptetence of the subject hold any weight, when compared to the all mighty industry recognised qualification. Either way I do it, I'll need to sit the 2 exams at the end, and pay for them

I'd more or less be giving my allowance away just to obtain a college certificate of competence on the subject, but if I'm going to do the 2 big exams at the end anyway whatever choice I pick (on what methods to do the CompTIA A+) the college study materials are viewed online, as is most of the study, so there's no advanatage, and no tutor support or anything like that - just access to a student forum, and some materials online to study through lol. Only way I'd want to pay my money is to allow a chance to obtain a certificate of competence as it would be a good thing (in my eyes) to put into my NRA (National record of Achievement) folder, and place on my CV as owning, even though it may not be industry recognised, but I would do this as well anyway

You only get £200 per year, and perhaps it could be better spent on mathmatics in some way that could assist and support the weight of the CompTIA A+ qualification

 

You wouldn't put the colleg you studied at down for Comptia, you would just list Comptia and then A+, network+ etc so I wouldn't be concerned by that at all.

Not sure why you metion studying maths tho' ???

 

So college online course would be a waste if I was already self-studying?

I put maths down, because I felt employers appreciate a good mathmatical knowledge when it came to computing

 

If you're happy with the self study then yes, just stick with that.

Don't think you'll find that maths is a consideration unless perhaps you're looking at programming jobs. I've never seen it mentioned (let alone a requirement) on any systems type vacancy.

Work experience is what will count far more.