Those who just wish to get a good idea of how to work with a laptop or computer for simple functions, the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is the course for you. Almost all home computer systems carry a system referred to as Windows, and the 'ECDL' talks about the way to operate it's basic components. You will also discover about web browsers (to help you to surf the web,) and e-mail software (to help you to be in contact with your colleagues and friends.) You'll also be taught the basic principles of word-processing and a little about what spreadsheets and databases can be used for.

If you need to boost your skills for career related reasons, you may want to have some more specialised training. A comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office is most likely the skill set most need at this grade. Two well accepted certification programs are 'MOS' (Microsoft 'Office Specialist') & 'MCAS' (Microsoft 'Certified Application Specialist'). Whilst the former is based around the Microsoft 'Office' 2003 environment under 'Windows XP', the latter emphasises Windows 'Vista' & 'Office' 2007. XP remains most commonly used in industry, but 'Vista' might be more future-proof. You will find individual exams for both that go into 'Word' (word processing), Excel (spreadsheets), Access ('databases') & 'Powerpoint' (presentations.) The advantage of having these qualifications is that they demonstrate your in depth ability level when using these packages.

Consider only training programmes that progress to industry recognised exams. There are way too many minor schools promoting their own 'in-house' certificates which are worthless in today's commercial market. If the accreditation doesn't feature a big-hitter like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe, then you'll probably find it will have been a waste of time - as it'll be an unknown commodity.

When you browse around the pages of this site you'll find dedicated web-pages covering each of these sectors - as well as the qualification paths that are needed - so you can check things out a little more. On the other hand, our Free Lollypedia e-book provides you with additional guidance, as well as information on how to contact our training professionals.

For the most part, your everyday trainee doesn't know in what direction to head in the IT industry, let alone which sector they should look at getting trained in. Flicking through lists of IT career possibilities is next to useless. The vast majority of us don't even know what our next-door neighbours do at work each day - let alone understand the subtleties of any specific IT role. To work through this, a discussion is necessary, covering a number of definitive areas:

- Your hobbies and interests - these can point towards what possibilities will give you the most reward.

- Are you hoping to obtain training due to a specific reason - for example, is it your goal to work from home (being your own boss?)?

- Does salary have a higher place on your wish list than anything else.

- Learning what the main job areas and markets are - and what makes them different.

- How much time you're prepared to spend on getting qualified.

For the average person, getting to the bottom of so much data tends to require the help of an advisor who can explain things properly. And not just the qualifications - you also need to understand the commercial requirements and expectations besides.

Training Courses For Microsoft MCPD >>