Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Interested in IT, opinions on best options to get to uni.

Hi,

This is quite a general post and perhaps I should really speak to an advisor but I'll post it here to see if anybody can give me any advice.

I’m thinking of doing an IT course to enable me to go to university to further study IT. I’m 29 and have been working full time, in a job that isn't going anywhere earning 21k. I would like to do a course in IT as I use computers allot and help people a little bit with them at work, nothing technical though.. I've got an NVQ L2 in Customer Service and I've done an ITQ L2 .

I'm interested in design and can be creative but don't process drawing skills, I'm thinking of getting into IT and doing web design and learning how to use programs to create applications, programming to create software & learning how to use abode products like Photoshop and illustrator, etc. possibly learning networking (I do think that may be boring though, but probably better to know) and more technical skills?

I am abit worried with the IT industry in general as I've heard that allot of IT jobs such as programming will be shipped out to countries with cheaper labour, e.g. India etc, I also have a friend who has completed a computer science degree and cant find any work in the IT sector. Another thought that worries me about IT is getting one of those jobs where you are in a “back room” with no contact with anybody.

I see that there are a few options available with regards to part-time studying that I can do. I'm just wondering what is the best & quickest route. I've listed them in the order that I think they are level wise e.g. I think the 1st one is the lowest level out of all the options? but I'm not sure so if somebody could let me know, it would be appreciated.

Continuing Certificate of Higher Education (P/T evening or week end)

Certificate of Higher Education (P/T evening or week end)

Foundation Degree (P/T evening or week end)

Access course (I think an access course would be ideal as it takes 1 year to complete, the only problem is that all the ones I have seen are all for 3 week days a week and I'm not sure if I could go part-time at work, because part-time at work is normally 3 days, plus I might not get to go back to full time afterwards)