European Computer Driving Licence
I had never heard of this until Wednesday, when an unemployed man said that he’d been offered a course to get him back to work. I am not sure, if it helped him get a job, but it strikes me that it is simple proof, that the holder has the minimum computer skills needed in the most basic of jobs. Speaking to two friends at dinner that night, it turned out that both their sons had done this qualification at school and had thought it worthwhile.
I have read about the syllabus on the British Computer Society’s web site. As I have actually written a book on how to use the Internet and have many years of computing experience, this qualification is something I could teach or at least point people in the right direction.
There is almost a barter here, in that I might teach say an unemployed person, a bit of computing and they do a few of the jobs that I can’t manage in my state. I suspect too, that I’m not the only person with good computer skills, who needs a bit of other support.
The Anonymous Widower 
My younger daughter was offered the opportunity to do ECDL at as a 2 week block in Uni holidays, for a reduced rate, and she took up the offer. She found it very easy – basically it was various modules, mostly on how to use the Microsoft Office Suite, which was already mostly familiar with, except for Access which she hadnt used, although she had used other databases.
The job she has now started out as a temp answering the phone, and the place realised that she had an English degree, a bright sparky personality, good ideas, and was a hard worker. So what should have been a 2 day temp assignement went on for a long time, and her role became appropriate to her qualifications, until they eventually created a proper post for her on a permanent contract with lots of opportunities for advancement.
She didnt get either the temp job or the permanent one because she had ECDL. But it meant that she had the confidence to use the various programmes. She uses Excel a great deal, and says that what they di on ECDL is very vers basic compared to what is needed in her job, but it did mean she knew where to start with it, and was willing to try things.
Comment by Liz P | July 16, 2010 |
I spoke to the BCS about this and they were very helpful.
http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.7646
Anybody can setup as a trainer and I’ve requested details of what the course entails. There are centres, who would then test anybody you’d trained.
It sounded all very civilised.
Comment by AnonW | July 16, 2010 |