Computer Literacy, an Important Skill

“According to a 2006 survey published in many news papers and bulletins, Sweden – a very rich country in Europe, is regarded as the most computer literate country in the world with 82 percent of Dutch populace saying they use the computer and 72 percent uses the internet. It is followed by Canada with 79 and 71 percent respectively and the United States with 76 and 70 percent.”

Since the proliferation of computers and the internet, it has become a large part of our lives, with many fields and infrastructure depending on it, and most businesses using it as a tool. With this development, Computer Literacy has become a need in businesses, in every workplace, in schools, in many establishments, and in everyday  life. It is very unfortunate remaining a computer illiterate in this period of Information Technology.

With computers becoming a basic tool in every industry, there is a very good chance that during your employment, you will use computers. Being computer literate opens many employment opportunities and gives you an edge over other job applicants.

Computer Literacy is the understanding and capacity to use a computer in an effective manner. It can also refer to a certain comfort level in using computers and computer applications. Being computer literate does not connote knowing every single software that exists; it is knowledge in using its basic functionality and applications or advance studies on specific computer fields of interest or needed computer skills.

Many schools offer basic computer courses aside from a bachelor’s degree in any computer studies. Also, many IT centers and establishments offer short-term courses on computer specific topics in affordable prices and convenient schedule. Some courses are also available for free online and some carefully structured study programs and references are available for download in the internet.

Here are some study programs that might be helpful in deciding what courses to take based on your needs and inclination.

• Windows Office Training: Word – Word is a basic editor application that is tailored for making articles, documents, and reports. It has many editing features and tools for convenient writing. In this training, you will be able to learn how to write and compose documents, use tools in formatting documents, grammar and spell checking capabilities as will as other convenient tools.
• Windows Office Training: Excel – Excel application is a very convenient tool for making complex documents involving numeric data and its operations. This tool provides many features for data computation, organization, and presentation. In this training, you will be able to use these functionalities in computing and presenting data, making formulas for calculations of varied data types, using macros, and converting data into charts, graphs, and other forms.
• Computer Basics – Takes up general computer terminology and use. In this training, you will be able to identify and describe basic computer components, start and shut down computers, install software, and be able to use basic applications.
• Programming in Java – This training teaches basic to advanced Java programming. In this training, you will be able to learn java syntax, java keywords, class and method construction, identify data types, data structure and algorithm, and create Java programs and applications.
• Programming in C/C++ – This training teaches C/C++ programming and concepts. In this training, you will be able to learn basic coding syntax in C/C++, class and method construction, Pointers, Exception handling, C/C++ libraries and object oriented programming, designing, and analysis.
• Web Design & Graphics – This training teaches concepts for web site building and designing. In this training, you will be able to plan web site structure, techniques in designing and creating web sites, learn varied programming languages and tools for Web Design.
• Certification Training – This training instructs and serves as review centers for various IT and Computer Certification Examinations like CISCO, JITSE, JAVA, C++ and many other IT fields of specialization.
• Other trainings – There are other trainings related to Computer and Technology like Operating Systems, Computer Hardware, Networking, Database, and an infinite number of training topics.

Learn computers and be assured of a better career and a wealth of options and opportunities. Arm yourself with a reliable skill for a brighter future – Computer Literacy.