iCarnegie Press Release

A New Software Company, Award-Winning Graduates, and Employer Demand Result from Software Development Education Partnership Between Adelaide Institute of TAFE and iCarnegie

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA and PITTSBURGH, PA USA -1 June 2004 -- The Adelaide Institute of TAFE (AIT) and iCarnegie, Inc., an educational affiliate of Carnegie Mellon University and provider of software systems development curriculum, announce that their higher education partnership is producing successful results for the South Australian economy and workforce. Those successes include the formation of new software enterprises, strong employment rates of graduates, tuition sponsorship from regional employers, graduates who are winning top awards for their programming skills, and nearly 70 students who have achieved the high standards of iCarnegie’s software development certifications.

With another group of iCarnegie students having graduated from AIT on Thursday, 20 May 2004, the program is “an exceptional example of how curriculum partnerships can impact a region,” said Dr. Allan Fisher, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of iCarnegie. “We are very proud of what the Adelaide Institute of TAFE has accomplished through the successful management of this education program.”

The iCarnegie software systems development curriculum at AIT is a vocational training program that was launched in 2001 with support from the Premier’s Carnegie Technology Scholarships provided by the Government of South Australia. Students complete the program in less than two years, which qualifies them for a variety of career options in computer programming, software applications development, software engineering, and IT management. This is good news for employers in South Australia, where ICT remains one of the fastest growing employment sectors, according to the IT Council for South Australia.

“Adelaide Institute of TAFE offers the iCarnegie curriculum, powered by the top-ranked School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon, because we believe it is the best in the world. Our students are gaining employment with large, multinational companies, as well as with small local employers. Those types of successes are the best advertisement for the value of completing the iCarnegie program at AIT,” said Denise Janek, Director of Adelaide Institute of TAFE.

Details about the successes of this program follow:

New technology businesses: The formation of the company Monkey Physics Pty. Ltd. in 2003 showcases the power of the curriculum partnership program. Monkey Physics, which specializes in the exciting new market of software application and game development for mobile devices, was started by one of AIT’s iCarnegie lecturers, Brian Doidge, and iCarnegie program graduate Luke Beard. “We have so far employed only iCarnegie graduates from AIT and have found them to be extremely competent, not just as programmers, but also as professional and innovative software engineers,” said Mr. Doidge, the company’s Director and Chief Technical Officer.

Employers are taking notice: A growing number of businesses are providing sponsorship support to the iCarnegie program at AIT, in exchange for first access to interview and hire the graduates. EDS, one of the world’s largest IT consulting firms, has been a sponsor through its Adelaide Solution Centre since the launch of the program. “We hired four recent graduates from the program. Initially, the graduates started in fixed-term roles, but all of them were offered permanent positions because of their strong performance,” said Karl Grant, Manager of the EDS Adelaide Solution Centre.

Graduates of the program are working for a range of companies in Australia, including Fujitsu, Empower Masterpay, EDS, LISAsoft, Monkey Physics, and others. Other graduates have gone on to further studies at universities in Australia.

Award-Winning Skills: Two of the program’s students captured the 2003 Gold and Silver medals in the Adelaide district’s WorldSkills Competition in the category of programming. Both are currently employed as full-time programmers at businesses in the area. Said gold-medal winner John Saunders about the program at AIT and his achievements: "The iCarnegie certifications represent the fact that the students have been able to successfully complete a course that has high standards, requires fast learning, emphasizes practical experience, and ensures your ability to design and develop sellable software products.”

A New Class of Software Talent: Sixty-nine students in the program have earned one or both of iCarnegie’s two levels of professional certifications: Computer Programming and Software Systems Development. Those certifications, especially when combined with a diploma from AIT, mean that the students have successfully demonstrated high-quality, professional practical skills and knowledge in developing real-world, modern software systems. The students who have completed the full program at AIT have also formed the iCarnegie Graduates Association, which provides ongoing opportunities for knowledge exchange and peer advice.

iCarnegie’s 10-course curriculum program includes the following subjects: Introduction to Information Systems; Introduction to Computer Systems; Object-Oriented Programming & Design; User-Centered Design & Testing; Data Structures & Algorithms; System-Level Programming; Database Systems; Networks & Distributed Programming; Software Specification, Test & Maintenance; and Software Project Organization & Management.

About Adelaide Institute of TAFE
Information Technology Studies at Adelaide Institute of TAFE, offered at the Currie Street Campus of TAFESA, is at the forefront of presenting IT courses in the post secondary sector. Graduates are sought after, winning employment ahead of many other graduates. The staff has a breadth and depth of experience allowing them to deliver relevant and practical training. Website: http://www.ait.org

About iCarnegie, Inc.
iCarnegie, Inc. was established in 2002 as an independent, private company with the goal of sharing leading curriculum programs with individuals worldwide, through a community of partner schools and training institutions. iCarnegie originated in 1998 as Carnegie Technology Education as a nonprofit subsidiary of Carnegie Mellon University, to bring the university’s award-winning computer science programs to larger populations. Today, iCarnegie provides curriculum and certifications in Computer Programming and Software Systems Development to education institutions, students, and employers worldwide. For more information, visit the iCarnegie website: http://www.icarnegie.com

Designated trademarks and brands mentioned in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

# # #