Introduction

Computer skills have become increasingly important as companies have started to depend upon computerized technology to get work done.

Computer skills can mean that you can perform tasks that others in the workforce aren’t able to, and you are familiar with and able to work with programs that businesses use.

You will have a better chance of being successful and efficient in the workplace or moving to more lucrative jobs if you are able to navigate computers and use common or specialized computer programs by using source documents.

Obtaining a professional certification and Computer training are important factors in 21st century workplaces. The importance of professional certification and computer training can be viewed in two ways:

First, it is vital for job applicants to obtain professional certification and computer training to make themselves more valuable to potential employers and to obtain higher-paying jobs.

Second, it is important for companies to use professional certification and computer training in their new-hire training programs and employee development initiatives.

The importance of acquiring a computer training and professional certification can be backed by the following points:

Job Skills:

Professional certification and computer skills are a basic requirement for a large number of jobs. Almost any office job you apply for will require you to possess basic typing and data entry skills, as well as a basic understanding of how to use an operating system.

Most office work requires job applicants to be familiar with office productivity software as well, such as word processors and spreadsheet programs. The chances of being selected for such jobs increase when a potential employee holds a professional certificate.

Even non-office jobs can require a bit of computer training. Retail cashier positions require employees to operate complex point-of-sale (POS) kiosks. Factory positions may require employees to use computers to log their hours worked or to enter production information each day.

Learning on the Job:

Basic computer training and professional certification provides a foundation on which employees can build new skills on the job. Employees may need to learn how to use a proprietary software program for a new job, for example, or learn how to use an upgraded system at work.

Learning how to operate software you've never worked with before can be much easier if you already have a solid foundation of computer experience on which to build. Without that, picking up new skills becomes more challenging.

Productivity:

Aside from the importance of job seekers obtaining computer training and professional certification, small businesses can realize important benefits from leveraging computer technology in their training programs.

Using computers to facilitate training exercises may avoid the loss of productivity that usually comes with new employees learning computer systems on the job.

Retail operations, for example, traditionally trained new employees on POS software operation on the job, which can cause line queues to back up while customers grow annoyed. Using a simulated POS system to provide new hires with computer training in a controlled setting, on the other hand, can give employees the skills and confidence they need to serve customers effectively from their first day on the job.

Employee Development:

Computer training and professional certification can be used for a wide variety of applications, not just for software simulations. Anything that can be taught in a classroom can conceivably be taught via computer.

Employees can take ethics courses, job skills training courses, leadership training courses, safety courses and anything else on a computer.

Using computer technology to provide continual training opportunities for your workers can steadily increase employees' professional competencies and experience, while accruing the benefits of a comprehensive employee development program to your business.

Benefits of training your staff:

Skilling your staff is good for your business and good for your workforce.

Good for your business:

Training can improve business performance, profit and staff morale.

Advantages to your business include:

• You choose what new skills your workforce gains, targeting skills to meet the needs of your operation for now and in the future.
• Training your staff can result in better customer service, better work safety practices and productivity improvements.
• You demonstrate to your workforce that you value them enough to invest in them, improving loyalty and staff retention. In turn, retention is a saving to you.

Good for your workers:

Training has many benefits for your staff:

• They acquire new skills, increasing their contribution to the business and building their self-esteem.
• The training they do can take them into other positions within the organization – positions with better prospects and/or better pay.
• They’re up skilled to do new and different tasks, which keep them motivated and fresh Because they’re being trained on your time, they see that you value them enough to invest in them. A good company is seen as one that retrains rather than churns.

Profitable Skills:

The ability to use more common programs such as Microsoft Word or Excel or specialized programs, such as the bookkeeping program Intuit QuickBooks, can mean that you have advanced computer skills that other candidates do not, and you may get hired into the company because you are able to use those programs at an intermediate or advanced level.

You could make more money or get hired for a high-level job because you are able to use a program. Basic computer literacy allows you to take classes in school or college or get training the workplace on how to use certain basic or specialized software.

Leadership and Promotions

If you have certain computer knowledge, you may get promoted to a higher position within your workplace, which in turn could give you an opportunity to work on more challenging projects or tasks. Even if you start out in a lower-level job, acquiring or having advanced computer skills likely will help you to get a better job more quickly than you would if you didn’t have computer skills.

If you have advanced knowledge of how to use computers, you could be put in a leadership position in which you teach others how to use computers or certain computer programs. You may also be called upon to serve as a computer technician, assisting others in fixing and using computerized technology more effectively, if you have advanced computer skills.

Work Performance:

Knowing how to use a computer often allows you to get work done in a more organized, efficient and timely manner, especially if you perform a job that requires you to use a computer on a frequent or regular basis.

Computers feature programs such spreadsheet, word-processing or presentation programs that help you to organize your thoughts, but you need to know how to manipulative these programs to be able to use their features, such as their text or imaging features.

If you work with a database at work, you won’t be able to complete important tasks without computer knowledge. Even if you do manual labor, such a construction or food service job, you may need to use a computer to conduct research on industry or company trends, regulations or news; run a cash register or complete training before starting work.

Communication:

Knowledge of how to access the Internet on a computer opens up different possibilities for you to communicate with coworkers or supervisors. Within the workplace, you can use instant messaging programs, social media websites or email to communicate about work-related topics.

When you use email or social media websites, such as Twitter or Facebook, you are able to leave messages for others to view at a later time and can email messages or documents to large groups of people.

Computer knowledge means that you can communicate with others using multimedia, such as sound or video presentations, especially during speeches. If you have a job that requires you to travel, it is important for you to know how to use a computer because you likely will need to use a computer to communicate with others from another location.

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