Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists' (WCIT), aka the Information Technologists' Company (ITC), is the 100th Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was granted Livery status by the Court of Aldermen in 1992, received its Royal Charter in 2010,[1] and has over 750 members — all currently or formerly senior practitioners in the IT profession, who have joined the Company in order to give something back to the IT sector and the wider community.
It has its own Hall through the generosity of Dame Stephanie Shirley, OBE and others. Prominent members include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web, the Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.[1]
The Company ranks hundredth in the order of precedence for Livery Companies. The Company's motto is Cito, meaning swiftly. It also incorporates the initials of the Company of Information Technologists. The 2010–11 Master was Ken Olisa OBE, who succeeded Charles Hughes. The 2011–12 Master is Jonathan Soar.
[edit] Activities
WCIT has a significant charitable and educational programme which uses the expertise, resources and networks of its members, and it is also involved in a range of activities to promote the Information Technology profession.
The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists focuses on three key areas of activity:
- Working with charities: Getting the maximum benefit from IT is now a pre-requisite, not just for commercial organisations but also for the charity sector. WCIT works with a wide range of not for profit organisations with the aim of helping them to gain the maximum benefit from their IT. Members give their time and expertise to provide pro bono IT advice (usually at a strategic level). In addition, iT4Communities is the UK national IT volunteering programme, introducing volunteer IT professionals to charities needing IT help and support. iT4C was set up by the Company in 2002, and since then has registered over 5,000 volunteers and more than 2,500 charities. iT4C has delivered over £3 million worth of support to the charity sector thanks to the work of the dedicated volunteer IT professionals.
- Education: For hundreds of years livery companies have supported schools in London and across the country. Currently WCIT has a partnership with Lilian Baylis Technology School in the London Borough of Lambeth. Previous projects include HOLNET (the History Of London on the interNET), which is now incorporated into the London Grid for Learning. In 2011, together with the Worshipful Company of Mercers (the oldest Livery Company), they opened Hammersmith Academy, a new academy school specialising in IT.[2]
- IT profession: With members coming from all sectors of the ICT field, WCIT can provide a neutral meeting ground for discussion of issues that are central to both the profession and the City of London. WCIT also runs a Journeyman Scheme which supports young IT professionals in the early stages of their career.
The company has a number of panels through which activities are organized. It is probably unique amongst Livery Companies in having an Ethical and Spiritual Development Panel, which considers such topics as the ethical and spiritual implications of the Internet — running colloquia on that topic in the House of Lords as far back as 1997.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Goodwin, Bill (22 June 2010). "Worshipful Company of Information Technologists receives Royal Charter". Computer Weekly. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/06/22/241690/Worshipful-Company-of-Information-Technologists-receives-Royal.htm. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^ "Hammersmith Academy". The Mercers' Company, City of London, UK. http://www.mercers.co.uk/hammersmith-academy. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
