The Star Online - xtrain, itrain, mirc

Tuesday December 18, 2007

Low-cost IT training for Penangites

PENANG: Penangites, especially small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs), can soon sign up for information technology (IT) training programmes at affordable prices from next year.

EC iTrain Sdn Bhd, an IT training centre, and the MCA ICT Resource Centre (MIRC) Incubator will set up Xtrain, a training company to provide low-cost IT training.

Signed and sealed: Wong (left) and Lakhmichand exchanging documents after the signing ceremony for the MoU in Penang yesterday, which was witnessed by state Tourism Development and Environment Committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow (centre).

XTrain, said iTrain chief executive officer Bikesh Lakhmichand, would cover topics like utilising, managing and supporting software applications, programming, security and infrastructure.

“Although we are offering the courses at affordable prices, there will be no cutback in quality,” Lakhmichand said after the MoU signing ceremony between iTrain and MIRC Incubator at the MIRC Business Leadership Summit at a hotel yesterday.

XTrain's Penang branch is expected to start its courses in April to ease the regional market's demands for quality information workers.

The Kuala Lumpur branch will open next month.

XTrain, Lakhmichand added, aimed to train about 1,000 people in its first year of operation.

MIRC chief executive officer Andrew Wong said it was proud to collaborate with iTrain in providing the market with qualified information workers.

“Many small and medium entrepreneurs and graduates lack experience and knowledge to meet the market's current demands.

“Due to that, we have to retrain them in the technology's latest,” he said.