Parity wins IBM Reseller of the Year Competition 2007 for its IT skills training

Parity, the IT Business Services organisation, has been recognised for its contribution to work place skills through the IBM Reseller of the Year Award 2007.

"The demand for some specialist IT skills has never been greater and we are delighted by this award", said Rick Firth, Parity Training’s Managing Director. "With employers having to pay significantly more to attract the best people, training is still an attractive and viable option for organisations to acquire those skills in high demand".

IBM skills as a proportion of the total demand for staff has been rising steadily since 2006, now representing 2.2% of all IT Skills job ads. With current average rates at £41 per hour and on the increase, IBM skills are definitely worth an organisations investment if they are to retain and acquire certified people.

Parity succeeded in winning the award for 176.9% revenue growth and 161.1% student day growth between the first and second half of 2006 on their IBM training portfolio which includes Information Management (DB2 training, Websphere, Lotus, Tivoli and a range of IBM Systems (i, p, x & z).

Whilst Parity offers a number of IBM certifications Rick Firth was keen to point out that learning a skill is not just about taking qualifications. Although these are important on the CV, the practical application of skills in the workplace is important too. Often the competencies which organisations need in order to deliver team performance are underestimated in IT projects and system role outs.

Rick goes on to say that; "An organisations’ human capital, has emerged as a key competitive factor through knowledge, skills and competencies, the trouble is that many forget that certain competencies are a must have with the right skills sets in order to achieve excellence."

Editorial notes:
Parity, uniquely for its size, offers a full range of IT services to major companies including:
Business process consultancy, change management training, management training, technology training, programming training, development and management of complex IT systems, Oracle and Microsoft technology and application skills , permanent and temporary IT staff.
Customers across the group include Alcatel, Allianz, British American Tobacco, CISCO, Department for Constitutional Affairs, Department for Work & Pensions, Glaxo Smith Kline, HBOS, Hewlett Packard, HSBC, IBM, Ministry of Defence, Department for Health, O2, Perot Systems, Royal Bank of Scotland, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, The Cabinet Office, T-Systems, Invest NI, Northern Ireland Electricity, The Charity Commission and Scottish Power

Contact details:
For more information on Parity contact
Gina Cannon
Parity Group PLC
Thavies Inn House
7th Floor
3-4 Holborn Circus
London
EC1N 2HA
http://www.parity.net/
020 7832 3500
g.cannon@parity.net