The Open University in the UK has licensed the CIO Executive Council Pathways competency framework, which allows future CIOs to follow a clearly devised learning plan, from IT staff to board level.
The framework will be mapped to university’s online industry curriculum to provide future CIOs with the essential skills required to reach board status.
The CIO Executive Council is a global peer advisory community of 750 global enterprises with more than 1400 IT leaders. It provides leadership development expertise through its Pathways program.
The new partnership will address the growing need for IT professionals with business acumen and help organisations develop a clear career path for promising employees.
“We have mapped our curriculum to the career paths of future CIOs, which will enable them to have the right training at the right stage in their careers,” executive director for IT and telecom at The Open University, Kevin Streater, said.
“They may start with IT specific courses and supplement it with management training as they progress in their careers. By the time they reach board level, they will have the necessary skill set to create strategic business value.”
Pathways is in its second year in Australia and currently has more than 80 participants. Its framework is developed by member CIOs and combines best practices, thought leadership and customised mentoring.
“Pathways is self-managed and self-paced,” Pathways Australia general manager, Caroline Bucknell, said. “And it’s based on the nine universal core competencies shown to have the greatest impact on an executive’s success.
“The benefits start with access to the CIO Executive Council’s Future-State assessment tool, which allows participants to map their current skills against the core competencies, as identified by more than 25,000 C-level assessments.”
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.