Freqently Asked Questions

Q. What do you mean by IT user skills?

Through ‘IT4all’, the e-skills NTO is leading action to address employers’ needs for IT user skills in the general workforce. This covers the IT-related skills of all individuals who are not IT professionals, ranging from basic e-mail and word processing through to web design and sophisticated database, desktop publishing and spreadsheet skills.

Q. What kind of IT user skills development opportunities are there in the southeast?

You can go directly to a training provider such as a college or private training provider for information. If you are not sure who offers the kind of training you need, contact LearnDirect. LearnDirect is a free, independent service that has been established to answer specific questions on the many courses and learning opportunities that are available in your region. Call their free helpline number: or visit their web-site at: www.learndirect.co.uk to find out more.

Q. What are the most commonly available qualifications in basic IT user skills?

Not all training leads to qualifications. However, there are a number of widely available courses that lead to the achievement of qualifications, including:

• NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) in Using IT, are approved by a number of awarding bodies (including Edexcel, City & Guilds, LCCI, OCR and Pitman). The NVQs are based on the National Occupational Standards that are set by industry and approved by e-skills National Training Organisation. For more information visit the e-skills NTO web-site at: www.e-skillsnto.org.uk.
• VRQs (Vocational Related Qualifications) for Using IT, are also offered by a number of awarding bodies. One example is CLAIT (Computer Literacy and Information Technology), an OCR approved, Stage 1 vocational qualification. It covers competence in practical IT skills at an introductory level. For more information visit the CLAIT web-site at: www.clait.co.uk .
• ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) is a British Computer Society approved, European-wide qualification that enables people to demonstrate their competence in computer skills. For more information visit the ECDL web-site at: www.ecdl.co.uk .
• MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist) is a Microsoft approved certification program designed to measure and validate users' desktop skills with the Microsoft Office suite, and Microsoft Project applications. For more information visit the Microsoft web-site at: www.microsoft-mous.com .
• IT Modern Apprenticeships in Using IT (Foundation and Advanced Modern Apprenticeships) have been developed by industry through the e-skills NTO as a way of integrating training with work, helping young people to be effective in their early careers. For more information visit the e-skills NTO web-site at: www.e-skillsnto.org.uk

Q. How do I know what IT user skills I - or my business - needs?

Firstly you need to know what skills development needs that staff have. Sometimes there will be urgent and obvious needs, but it is always useful to take a strategic overview to see what the business goals are. SEEDA have supported e-skills NTO in the development of the 'e-skills into Business' (ESIB) initiative. This enables companies to quickly and easily analyse business needs and then assess staff skills, with the outcomes of a business action plan to engage in e-commerce and recommended learning for individuals to fill skills gaps. This will shortly be launched in the southeast with access to training support, please visit the ESIB web-site at: www.esib.co.uk .

Q. How much will training cost and can I get help with funding?

A basic IT user skills training course can cost in the region of £150. However, the answer to this question varies greatly, depending on the kind of training that's wanted and also the funding that's made available to support it.

There are dozens of government supported initiatives that are cutting the cost of specific training to help meet a regional or national skills shortage. If the learner is in a target group they are more likely to be eligible for funds to support their training. This might include:

• people aged between 16-25;
• those working for a small/medium sized company (i.e. with less than 250 employees);
• those living or working in a region that is undergoing regeneration.

Some people will be able to access entirely free training, often worth in excess of £100 on the commercial market.

An important government initiative that is openly available is the ILA (Individual Learning Account) scheme. ILAs can offer you valuable discounts off learning depending on the kind of learning you wish to undertake. They offer 80% off specific computer literacy skills (up to a maximum of £200 discount in any one year) and 20% off a wide range of other learning (up to a maximum of £100 discount in any one year). To open an account and claim the discounts call or request an application pack through the www.my-ila.com website .

Q. How is training delivered and how long will it take?

A basic IT user skills training course can take in the region of 40 hours of learning time to complete. However, again, the answer to this question varies greatly, depending on the kind of training that's wanted and also the training support that is provided. Some people will learn on the job, through the guidance of work colleagues, some will benefit from on-line learning and others will want to attend classes.

Q. Who’s Who?

• The National Learning & Skills Council (NLSC) is responsible for all post-16 education and training: visit the LSC web-site at www.lsc.gov.uk . The national office is based in Coventry with 47 local LSCs across England, of which 6 are in the south east:
  • Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire LSC on , e-mail:
  • Berkshire LSC on , e-mail:
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight LSC on , e-mail:
  • Surrey LSC on , e-mail:
  • Sussex LSC on , e-mail:
  • Kent and Medway LSC on or e-mail:
• The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) was established by the Government through the Regional Development Agency Act 1998, and came into operation on 1st April 1999 to take the strategic lead in promoting the sustainable economic development of the region. For further information on SEEDA and its activities, please visit www.seeda.co.uk
• The e-skills National Training Organisation (e-skills NTO) is formally recognised by Government as 'The National Training Organisation for the Information Age', with responsibility for the IT and Telecom industries and IT-related skills in other sectors. The e-skills NTO addresses the skill issues driven by business exploitation of technology, ranging from basic IT user skills through to leading edge Internet development. For further information on the e-skills NTO and its activities, please visit www.e-skillsnto.org.uk