Combining millions of permutations, a new free online service, www.iwant2b.org.uk, can map out individual pathways for people looking to embark on a particular career or to change jobs completely.

It is intended to help people fast-track their career plan and tap into some of the best job opportunities of the future as for the first time it links together universities and colleges to clearly show how to get the right qualifications for the right job and where.

The new system, which has been developed by the North East Higher Skills Network, is being trialled in the North East region, where all 28 universities and colleges have come together.  It is hoped the system can soon be rolled out across the UK enabling users countrywide to search every course in the country from one website.

Iwant2b (www.iwant2b.org.uk) is aimed at everyone from teenagers to middle-agers and enables users to create a profile of their own work history and qualifications on-line, using this information to map out the right courses needed to arrive at a particular career.

Dr Mark Lythgoe, one of the few scientists in the world to have held Albert Einstein’s brain, launched the innovative online careers mapping tool – adding that such a system may have helped him fast-track his ambitions at an earlier age.

He said: "When I left school I had no idea what I wanted to do really and how to even start going about getting where I needed to be. I had no idea how useful and relevant the educational system could be for me and what doors it could open and opportunities it could provide.

“But I think a system like iwant2b may have helped me and made a massive difference as I would have had clear advice and help from an early age.”

The innovative virtual expert helper is the brainchild of IT and careers experts at the North East Higher Skills Network.  Backed by all 28 of the universities and colleges in the North East, the network is tasked with improving the take up of higher education and skills across the region.

Professor Graham Henderson, Chairman of the Network and Vice Chancellor at the University of Teesside, said: “By providing a clear career pathway, people can see at a glance where they need to go for help and training without having to trawl through dozens of individual websites.

“It has been a huge technical task to develop the first stages of iwant2b.org.uk, which we believe will be an excellent tool for anyone looking to map out a career or change direction at any stage in their lives.”

Subscribe to TJ news bulletins:

| Subscribe to our L & D RSS Feed

Related News

• Managers kept in the dark by employees
• QDP offers questionnaires to support New Standard for Employer Responsiveness
• First sports apprenticeship is a hit with football clubs

Related Discussion Topics

• knowledge based sessions
• Setting Development Objectives
• Female contact in the RAF

Latest News

• Sector Skills Councils relicensing
• Skillnet is to run Ford's apprenticeship scheme
• Line managers are not equipped to interview effectively
• Promoting diversity in the Civil Service
• DWP improves its service to customers, says latest capability review