Information Technology

Nigel Akers, IT Diploma Co-ordinator, Nottingham City
Anisa Ali, Entrepreneur/Sole Trader

Nigel Akers, IT Diploma Co-ordinator, Nottingham City: Anisa’s come in this morning to talk to us about her business and how we might be able to help her on the IT Diploma. She realises that maybe the expertise that you’ve got, with your IT skills, might actually help her make her business a little bit more successful. Anisa is an ex-student so, when I was scratching my head and thinking who can I get involved here, I rang her up and said, ‘Are you still in the curry business? Do you need any help?' And she said, ‘Actually it sort of folded while I had my child, but I’m about to start it up again,’ and it all just seemed to fit.It was just fantastic.

Anisa Ali, Entrepreneur/Sole Trader: It’s an Asian curry business that you cook from home and deliver it direct.

Nigel Akers: The business is small enough for them to get their head around, they know what the business is about, didn’t need a lot of explaining. There’s a lot of scope there for the youngsters to get stuck in and feel that they’re making a valuable contribution to that business.

Anisa: ...do you see a difference between them?

Nigel Akers: If you are starting with a start-up business it gets the teachers in the schools, it gets the youngsters in the schools, used to working with somebody in business, and once they get the feel for that, the next stage on, with a slightly bigger company where there’s not quite that personal contact, it’s just a little bit easier.

Anisa: You work on it the way you guys want, how you feel. It’s up to you guys, however you want to do it let me know and I can work with you guys, no problems. Djanogly have done a lot with me in the years so I thought it’s nice to give them a bit of my time. And looking at their ideas and the things they’ve come up with and suggestions and the brainstorming, it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s up to me now how much I want to come in. You know, I could come in every session they have, but it’s better if I let them do it themselves and then let them email me and ask me for questions and help for feedback. It’s free delivery. Wherever people see 'discount' or 'free' they tend to look at it one more time, yeah?

Nigel Akers: So much of my teaching of IT in the past has been around made up scenarios and companies and it’s not going anywhere, and it doesn’t have that same feel that certainly today felt like, with the youngsters realising that they’ve got a job to do here. There’s a real person. They’re working for Anisa now.

Learner 1: I think it’s going to be good, because it’s like a challenge. I’ve never done it before.

Learner 2: In ICT before I only had pretend instances and stuff but now have real life, there’s a real profit margin and real money involved.

Learner 3: I realised all the problems all the stuff that you have to overcome.

Learner 4: You’re doing it physical, you’re actually doing it.

Learner 3: It puts more pressure on you. More pressure will probably make you work harder.

Nigel Akers: They were certainly working hard and some were staying behind at the end. That’s a great feel.

END