ComputerPREP to develop learning materials customized for Scottish education

VCampus (OTCBB: VCMP.OB), owner of ComputerPREP, announced today a partnership with the Digital media and ICT Vendor Alliance (DIVA), a program of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). ComputerPREP is the eleventh global technology company to join the groundbreaking DIVA program to enrich the Scottish curriculum for learners in schools and colleges.

As part of the three-year non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding, DIVA will see the introduction of ComputerPREP learning materials into the Scottish curriculum, customized for Scottish education; joint activity on possible incorporation of the CIW Foundations certification exam into the SQA Higher National Certificate-Multimedia Computing qualification; and professional development opportunities for college lecturers across Scotland.

The digital media and creative industries sector in Scotland is responsible for 94,000 jobs, or 4 percent of employment in Scottish industry. The total number of new businesses in the digital media category in Scotland has grown by 10.4 percent since 2000, compared to just a 4 percent rise in the overall number of new businesses, with now more than 11,000 creative and digital media businesses operating in Scotland. An E-skills UK report of the ICT Labor Market in 2006 revealed that IT and Telecom sectors have more hard to fill vacancies caused by skills shortages and skills gaps than any other workplace sector, clearly showing there is a demand for additional IT training to prepare students to enter the workforce.

'Working exclusively with DIVA to develop learning materials designed specifically for Scottish curriculum will engage us in understanding a deeper knowledge of the particular needs of the Scottish computing, multimedia and technology qualifications,' said Marjorie Quigley, Regional Director EMEA APAC of ComputerPREP. 'The SQA-ComputerPREP partnership will expand VCampus' already robust range of Web-related product offerings and learning solutions for the EMEA market.'

An education partner will be selected through open tender process in summer 2007 to act as a champion for the SQA-ComputerPREP collaboration. Further implementation of the agreement will occur after the initial education partner is selected.

'The partnership between ComputerPREP and the DIVA program will be a vital relationship as part of the SQA's continuing expansion of introducing and teaching technology skills to prepare Scottish students to meet the skills demands of the growing digital economy,' said John Macdonald, Depute Director of Qualifications SQA. 'We are confident in our selection of ComputerPREP to deliver a comprehensive curriculum that can be held to the SQA's high standards.'

ComputerPREP joins the DIVA program alongside Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Serif and the computing industry trade association CompTIA.

For more information about VCampus, ComputerPREP and SQA's DIVA program, visit www.VCampus.com, www.ComputerPREP.com and www.sqa.org.uk/diva respectively.