In an effort to shed more light on the projects, accomplishments and passions of our staff, the editorial team is introducing a new story format by writing a series of short articles focusing on a profession, department or even a location to allow readers to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes!
This article is the first in a series of articles on the Information Technology (IT) department!
Workers in the shadows
Let’s face it: we only ever interact with members of the Information Technology (IT) department when we have a problem with our computer or printer. Beyond that, their work remains largely unknown.
It’s time to change that! We went directly to the source to discuss the projects and achievements of these workers in the shadows.
At first glance, the scope of the IT “playing field” is hard to grasp:
You have to see the big picture. It’s actually quite amazing. It’s that…everything has to get done. For example, in terms of the IT infrastructure, it’s like not too long ago we were all these little unconnected entities. Each school was its own little world.
With the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, things changed quickly: “Like it or not, we had to do in one year what normally would have taken us four or five. When the pandemic struck, everyone was at home. We had to give them access to the school board’s resources.”
Like an old house with its fair share of challenges, all this hard work highlighted the importance of a major issue within IT: the infrastructure of the system. The multiplication of electronic devises and growth (though timid) of internet speed in Nunavik has put our computer structure to the test.
“We have to adapt our structure, which was not originally built for this. To give you an idea, it’s as if we were trying to make a Ford T perform at the same level as a Formula 1 race car.”
In addition, like the IT team, the list of projects and files is growing in number. The team must meet demand while transforming the IT infrastructure.
We have requests from both sides, and we have to respond, and find the time to do a bit of everything. But have to remember that our main priority is always the students.
However, whether it’s a renovation problem or a car problem – choose the analogy you prefer – there have been very real and significant improvements. For example, schools are now linked through the integrated DASH software that feeds a central database in Montreal.
However, there are significant challenges ahead for our IT team: workforce specialization, difficulties in recruiting and security issues, to name a few. These topics will come up in later publications…
Follow us on social media so you don’t miss a thing!