IT training - ECDL or equivalent - advice wanted

[growingvegetables]

Are you already IT literate and able to use Windows, a network, the internet and Office suite apps without a problem? If you probably already have "equivalent" skills.

And he may well have found a thousand ways of doing things, effectively and quickly, that many online ECDL don't recognise?

I've only seen ECDL online packages in schools - and had to deal with the utter frustration of 15-16 year olds who'd found shortcuts FAR quicker than than the rigidity of the online "resources" would allow.

That's NOT a "don't do it!" for the OP. Just a warning that many of the online buggerty-jubbly courses I've seen are ... frustrating game-playing, without the graphics!

If ECDL is what you need ... be prepared to play the online provider's game?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

ECDL?

I've been "in IT" for twenty years, never heard of it.

Public sector like that sort of thing.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

And he may well have found a thousand ways of doing things, effectively and quickly, that many online ECDL don't recognise?

I've only seen ECDL online packages in schools - and had to deal with the utter frustration of 15-16 year olds who'd found shortcuts FAR quicker than than the rigidity of the online "resources" would allow.

That's NOT a "don't do it!" for the OP. Just a warning that the online buggerty-jubbly courses I've seen are ... frustrating game-playing, without the graphics!

If ECDL is what you need ... be prepared to play the online provider's game?

I'll put it another way, an employer that insists on ECDL is not the sort of employer I'd want to work for.

 

[raleighnut]

And he may well have found a thousand ways of doing things, effectively and quickly, that many online ECDL don't recognise?

I've only seen ECDL online packages in schools - and had to deal with the utter frustration of 15-16 year olds who'd found shortcuts FAR quicker than than the rigidity of the online "resources" would allow.

That's NOT a "don't do it!" for the OP. Just a warning that the online buggerty-jubbly courses I've seen are ... frustrating game-playing, without the graphics!

If ECDL is what you need ... be prepared to play the online provider's game?

ECDL is a invigilated examination in a set time taken in a 'sealed' room with 'offline' machines, not some online 'scam' fake certificate.

 

[growingvegetables]

I'll put it another way, an employer that insists on ECDL is not the sort of employer I'd want to work for.

Shorter, sweeter, and much more to the point .

 

[growingvegetables]

ECDL is a invigilated examination in a set time taken in a 'sealed' room with 'offline' machines, not some online 'scam' fake certificate.

I beg to differ.

 

[raleighnut]

I beg to differ.

The 8 week course I took was like that for level 2, level one (6 weeks) was an introduction course that had to be passed prior to the level 2, no doubt it is possible to find nefarious ways to obtain the qualification but then we've seen fake doctors qualifications and fake dentists too.

I also find it confusing when you say there are 'shortcuts' to preparing a document or spreadsheet for professional use, altering/amending documents should be done methodically or the old maxim of 'GiGo' applies or would you sooner have an idiot copy one of your e-mails and send it to everyone, maybe send your work 'appraisals' to everyone on their mailing list.

 

[Jason]

Had to ask a customer for his network topology last night,so I could work out what was going on with his hyperconverged system. He had ECDL level 2 and it was about as good as a 23c tyre on a muddy track road.

 

[raleighnut]

Had to ask a customer for his network topology last night,so I could work out what was going on with his hyperconverged system. He had ECDL level 2 and it was about as good as a 23c tyre on a muddy track road.

ECDL is an operator qualification, would you ask Lewis Hamilton what the valve timing was on his car,
That's what mechanics are for.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Makes me wonder what I've been missing the past 30 years, since I started my IT job. I've used MS Office stuff since it was invented and have never heard of any qualifications in it, or in fact training in it, it's supposed to be the sort of thing you pick up as you go. If all else fails, and you can't copy a colleague's work, look at online help. As I say, makes me wonder what I've been missing.

 

[Tin Pot]

Makes me wonder what I've been missing the past 30 years, since I started my IT job. I've used MS Office stuff since it was invented and have never heard of any qualifications in it, or in fact training in it, it's supposed to be the sort of thing you pick up as you go. If all else fails, and you can't copy a colleague's work, look at online help. As I say, makes me wonder what I've been missing.

I did do a course in Word once - or it was something mandatory my employer made us do in '98.

Something about indents is all I remember.

I only ever use tab.

 

[Tin Pot]

Hello again.

Cyberknight, thank you for the links. I'll have a look in the morning.

GrumpyGregry, I'm a Mac user at home and haven't really needed IT skills at work, so I'm unfamiliar with anything newer than W97. I did an OU degree a few years ago, so used word processing a lot, but limited Excelesque stuff and back then it nearly made me cry. Last week I visited the department I'm hoping to join, and when I asked about ECDL-level skills I was given the impression that maybe that was overstating things, and all they needed from day to day was very basic as far as Excel is concerned. But I'm with raleighnut regarding having a certificate, and it is written down as a desired skill/qualification.

Tin Pot, your grumpy-old-soddism made me larf.

Thanks again all.

When you're ready and have the time, you can use Office 365 for free for a month. Theyre good with cancellations.

I too would not worry about being expert in Word and Excel, but I would pursue your union - from what I hear, they're good with retraining stuff.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

In my last perm gig I was head honcho of IT and lots more besides. HR decided they wanted to introduce ECDL, I think someone had been to a seminar.

"Have you any evidence we are hiring people who are IT illiterate?" asked muggins. "Do you have this certification, and do you intend to demand all current staff get it?" I enquired. "You realise we mainly hire millennials, so called digital natives, who are sometimes more IT savvy, in certain areas, than my own IT folk."

The issue was dropped. It was some tick-box driven "look at us" HR thing of no real worth.

If you need help with Excel befriend someone in Finance, don't ask IT.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I did do a course in Word once - or it was something mandatory my employer made us do in '98.

Something about indents is all I remember.

I only ever use tab.

Bullets are good.

The bane of my current life is folk using Excel for trackers and forms that are much better built in Word.

 

[Tin Pot]

Bullets are good.

The bane of my current life is folk using Excel for trackers and forms that are much better built in Word.

If it's not in PowerPoint, I'm not reading it.