Recently, top tech companies around the world made headlines when they announced layoffs of their employees, some of them in their thousands. This news can be alarming, especially for those who are currently working in the tech industry or are considering a career in tech. After all, if a company as big and successful as Google can suffer layoffs, what does that mean for the rest of us? The thought of job security and stability can be daunting, but before you start reconsidering your tech career path, here are a few things to consider. It’s important to take a closer look at the situation and understand what it really means.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that layoffs are a common occurrence in the tech industry. Even the most successful companies experience layoffs at some point in their history. It’s not necessarily a reflection of poor performance or instability, but rather a strategic decision to optimise the workforce and align it with the company’s goals and priorities.
The layoffs in some of these companies were part of a larger restructuring effort that is aimed to streamline the company’s operations and focus on its core businesses. While it’s never easy to see people lose their jobs, it’s important to note that a number of these companies like Google for instance have a strong track record of supporting its employees through these transitions, offering generous severance packages and other resources to help them find new opportunities.
It is important to consider the skills and experience you have acquired in your current role. In the tech industry, skills are highly transferable, and many companies are looking for individuals with a wide range of experience and expertise. Even if you were affected by the recent layoffs, your skills and experience may be highly sought after by other companies in the industry.
Also keep in mind that the tech industry as a whole is still growing and thriving. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the tech sector is projected to add nearly 550,000 jobs between 2019 and 2029, a much higher rate of growth than the overall job market. This means that there are still plenty of opportunities for skilled tech professionals, even in the wake of layoffs at a few high-profile companies. Additionally, the tech industry is incredibly diverse, with many different companies and roles to choose from. If you’re considering a career in tech, it’s important to explore and find the path that best aligns with your skills, interests, and career goals. From startups to established companies, from software engineering to UX design, there is no shortage of opportunities in the tech industry.
Finally, it’s important to remember that no career path is without its risks and challenges. Whether you’re in tech or any other industry, there will always be factors outside of your control that can impact your job security. While these layoffs may be unsettling, they are not a reason to abandon your tech career aspirations. With a strong commitment to learning, growth, and adaptability, you can thrive in this exciting and dynamic industry.
So, keep learning, keep growing, and keep pursuing your tech dreams. With the right skills and attitude, you can still build a successful and fulfilling career in tech.
The story of the man who tried to return his certificate to a state university is quite peculiar. While a lot of people do not feel strongly enough about their certificates to return them, we can all agree a majority did not put them to use as they assumed they would when they got admitted.
Everyone has been affected one way or the other by the unemployment rate in the country. There was a time when one literally transitioned from college into the workplace. It was a prestigious thing to be a graduate, the door just opens for you. There was also oil discovery and exploration when a job in the oil and gas industry meant a successful present and an assured future. That phenomenon called the “Oil boom” created the biggest rush for university education which our parents in their loving kindness labored and sacrificed for in hopes of a better future.
The Tech Rush is a concept that exists just like the oil boom. Currently, the world is moving towards tech solutions for many problems, and so is all the money. We are the generation at the start of the future of industries, and this time for the first time in history, real estate, connection, and historical title are not limiting factors. What’s more fun? The world can never tire of solutions. For these reasons, a lot of people are aligning with tech.
There has been a sudden boom in the number of people learning tech skills such as web development, UI/UX design, and data science amongst others from SQI College of ICT and other tech institutions both physically and virtually. The recent ASUU Strike that has lasted for over seven months also largely contributed to this.
During this ongoing ASUU strike, some of the students that joined us have been able to complete different checkpoints of our ever-changing curriculum which is tuned to market demand skills, qualifying them to take entry and advanced level tech roles in under seven months.
Mubashir, an undergraduate who is currently studying at a Nigerian University learned web development from SQI College of ICT and is currently on paid internship in Lagos while still getting multiple offers. Kelvin has gotten multiple well-paying freelance jobs from different organizations but is only an undergraduate at a Nigerian University also. Michael is a 100-level student who got accepted for a hackathon outside the country and got access to an internship worth over $3000 just to mention a few.
A lot of the students learning a course at SQI College of ICT are literally praying that the strike should not be called off as they are fully aware that they are learning skills that are not only valuable in the country but also in other countries around the world further contributing the mass evacuation of tech talents / Nigerians that we call “Japa”.
An alumnus of SQI College of ICT, Akintomiwa Abolade, an ex-Senior Software Engineer at Google, took his Twitter page to express his frustrations on how the current situation in Nigeria especially in the educational sector has been depressing and proffered that learning a highly in-demand skill may be a solution to this.
We truly do not know what the future holds, no one does, but we are confident that SQI graduate students will always have a place in this ever-changing world as they are fully equipped to take the future by its horns. The question is, will we keep drifting through the uncertainties that the world holds, or make a decision to align towards the profitable? You may also begin your tech journey today by visiting http://edu.sqi.ng. Don’t know what tech skill to learn? You may checkout our list of courses at http://edu.sqi.ng/procert .
Spending time with such great minds as your kids was an absolute pleasure. During the summer coding school, various topics were covered across the 3 learning tracks involving coding, design, and digital literacy. For the coding track, the fundamental building blocks of building a simple website were taught in HTML & CSS. Structuring and styling principles were practiced by each student through their class works, assignments, and final project.
For the design track, topics include principles and elements of design. The students were also made to learn and practice with professional design tools like Photoshop and Canva to create aesthetically pleasing designs.
The Digital Literacy track covered a range of topics as this is a fundamental and sensitive track as it introduces your child to the digital world. They were introduced to productivity applications including MS Word, MS Excel, MS, Publisher, and MS Powerpoint. This track also ensured they got familiar with the basic operations of a computer, how the internet works, and online safety careers in tech.
What next? As the saying goes; Learning never ends. And it’s our desire for your children to keep on learning as much as they can. We’d also like to report that they will continue to have access to their student portal on Edozzier to continue their learning from anywhere in the world. The resources they used throughout the summer coding school will remain in their portal. Also, more resources will be uploaded to make sure they are not out of touch with their learning process.
Against the next summer camp, for children who will still be under the age of 12, they’ll move on to advance topics in their respective tracks. Those who will clock 13 by next year are advised to start preparing to take professional courses in any of the learning tracks at SQI College of ICT.
Last but not least, an official certificate of participation and completion will be issued to each student and especially for a job well done by them in each of their tracks.
Dear Parent. You took the right decision by enrolling your kids at SQI College of ICT. We assure you, it’s the beginning of many good things to come for them. We believe their minds are already being shaped for the future. The knowledge they got during the summer camp will also serve them well in their respective schools especially in the area of teamwork and communication as they got involved in all that throughout their study at SQI.
Thank you for trusting us with them. Thank you for bringing Alexis, Alexander, Emmanuel, Favour, Ademide, Adejola, Goodnews, Timothy, Daniel, Enoch, Michael, Victor, Oluwapelumi, Grace, Prosper, Feranmi, Jumoke, Samuel, Praise, Israel, Chiziterem, Chizara, Chimena, Aleem, Emmanuel(Fashola), Ayomide, Feranmi(Ayandiran), Othniel, Daniel(Uzomah), Joel, Al-Harmin, Abdulazim, Olamide, Abubakri, Fawas, Muthmainnah, Muiz, David, and Favour(Peter).
Decision Extract of the Senate Meeting held on 15th January 2021
As the institution continues to grow, it is deemed necessary to create a new fee structure, for the institution to maintain and enhance it’s operation and quality of ICT education delivery, hence the senate meeting to discuss the new fee structure for the national innovation programme at SQI College of ICT.
It is important to note that The National Board for Technical Education(NBTE) has its own curriculum that is enforced for all Diploma Students; while we also have a standard professional Certificate Programme curriculum for our students. The new fee structure makes it easier to administer both curriculums to students enrolled in the NID programme at SCICT, which can be taken simultaneously, as we seek to build students who stand out from the crowd.
During the course of the meeting, it was decided that;
Beginning From March 2021/2022 Academic session, Professional certificate Programmes for National Innovation Diploma (NID) Students will no longer be free at SQI College of ICT.
The Professional certificate Programme remains a requirement for graduation. This is what distinguishes SCICT students from students from other institutions.
The professional certificate programme can be taken in any of the campuses.
National Diploma activities hold only at the main campus.
Students don’t need to make payments for or take both programs at once. But all required courses must be taken and passed before graduation.
Current students taking professional courses can convert to a Diploma Program by paying an application and acceptance fee of N20,000 and N65,000 per semester.
It is compulsory for New students applying for the Diploma Programme to take the Professional certificate courses and make payments for both programmes.
The new fee structure shall take effect from March 2021 when the application for the new session will be commence.
The new fee structure does not affect the existing students.
Students may choose to run their Professional certificate courses electively (i.e, a student may come for Professional Programs during holiday instead of running it together with their academic works).
NID ( National Innovative Diploma) students are to receive two certificates, the NID certificate and the Professional Certificate after the completion of the program.
for further enquiries on this development, clickhere
Engr. Aderinto Fredrick Rector, SQI COLLEGE OF ICT
