Ashok Dave
Network Support Manager
Cricket team captain and IT wizard...
"There are good opportunities for progression, either within your chosen field or outside. The Continuous Professional Development programme helps keep your eye on the ball as well as presenting new ways to improve."
Ashok began his career supporting the IT infrastructure at Daventry Tertiary College in the year 1998 and is now responsible for networks covering 13,000 students and around 1,000 staff across the merged campuses and beyond. In his spare time he manages to run the College cricket club and captain the staff team. An ideal way, according to Ashok, of getting to know people from across the spectrum of disciplines.
"I am a bit of an IT freak," Ashok says, " so you can imagine how much I enjoy my work. In my early career, I was a technician with the local County Council and moved into the education sector because I saw an opportunity to develop into management. That's when I discovered what it is like to work in a very cooperative environment. The amalgamation of two colleges meant we had to meld together different IT infrastructures, disparate systems, even different cultures - meanwhile reassuring users and staff. The partnership with my counterparts from Northampton was immediate, the merger was seamless and worked from day one. Everyone involved should be very proud of the project."
Last word? "I get fantastic support from my management and communications are excellent - right down to our in-house electronic notice board!"