Ohio IT Skills Blog

College Students Fall Short in Demonstrating the ICT Literacy Skills Necessary for Success in College and the Workplace: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Link: College Students Fall Short in Demonstrating the ICT Literacy Skills Necessary for Success in College and the Workplace: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance.

More results of the analysis of data collected by Educational Testing Service (ETS) while validating their ICT Literacy Assessment.  It is simply not true that young people know everything they need to know about technology - merely by virtue of being young people, or by virtue of any focused education they are receiving in K-12.  This needs to change, and will change as the Ohio Standards for Technology move into the mainstream.  But that still leave the vast majority of Ohioans without those insights.  If you want to solve that problem for yourself in the near future, check out the Ohio Computing Unlimited basic skills program, introducing ICDL.

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

Conferences get ICDL in front of the right people

What a week!

The EnterpriseOhio Network had its annual 3-day conference in Columbus November 7-9, including celebrating the Network's 20th anniversary.  If you don't know, EON represents what are known as "Business & Industry" departments in the 53 community colleges and satellites campuses that are members.  These groups bring in revenue by packaging up custom training programs and other continuing education programs for specific businesses or other interest groups in their respective communities.  In short - they are among the most entrepreneurial staff members of our higher educational system.

These conferences always are energizing because so many attendees (a total of about 200 this year) are seeking to learn - about new programs, new techniques, new constituents and more.  The reception of this group for the ICDL program has been great - and it's always a challenge to find new ways to describe ICDL and its strengths and potentials - in a way that will help EONers promote the program locally.

I came up with a presentation that I believe will become the bedrock for future presentations and conversation about ICDL - and was able to make the delicate connection between computer skills training and elephants and Napoleon's failed campaign to capture Moscow in 1812.  Not many people would attempt such a montage, but I am fearless.

We were able to have some have some additional fun at EON:  Ohio Computing Unlimited sponsored a contest where everyone who completed one of the TechReady Assessments was entered in a drawing - held the last night of the Conference - for a video iPod.

And the Winners Are:  Tracy Egert (right)of Owens Community College (Toledo) won the drawing for the iPod.  And Tamara Norris (left) of Northwest State Community College (Archbold) won a special recognition for her high score of the contest - 98%!!  The deliverable was a hat that reads "Tops @ TechReady, EON 2006."  Congratulations to both of you!  And to everyone who participated (and can still participate - in the sense of getting familiar with the assessment)!

And I can't leave the subject without sincere thanks to Gretchen Skok-DiSanto, who organizes the event (with the help of a small, talented staff) and has always been so supportive of our OCU/ICDL efforts, and Robert Johnson, my senior partner introducing ICDL around EON.  Without you guys, I'd still be looking for the door!

Later I had the privilege of speaking with a number of people who work for the career centers around Ohio.  These organizations are under the umbrella of the Ohio Department of Education (as opposed to to community college under the auspices of the Ohio Board of Regents).  These institutions have been pursuing programs in basic skills for a long time, and many have expressed an interest in some of the features of ICDL.  Gloria Balch  of the Tri-County Vocational School Adult Career Center hosted the session at which I presented, and her support was greatly appreciated.  Also Dora Zandarski of the Trumbull County Center, and Sue Gibson of Mid-East Career Center in Zanesville, attended.  Dora has been teaching ICDL for three years, and Sue's school has just recently fired up a program.  So they were able to support my high level presentation with some good practical experience-based information.

These experiences always invigorate me and I look forward to more.   Thanks to all!

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

Wrap-up - Reality behind 10 myths about computer skills training in Ohio

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Review:  The 10 Myths

• Myth #10: “Our business is stable and isn’t likely to change.”
• Myth #9: “I’m not worried about a broad range of basic skills.  I need people who can focus exclusively on a single application that is the basis for their jobs.”
• Myth #8: “I can’t afford to support training for my employees.  Education is too expensive.”
• Myth #7: “I paid my taxes for the educational system to give people – my employees and prospective employees – an education.  I should not have to provide extra training.”
• Myth #6: “Security is simply a matter of tighter rules and stricter policies – training in computer skills won’t make a difference.  In fact, the more people know about the computer, the more exposed my organization is.”
• Myth #5: “There are certificate programs for everything – there’s no way to tell if this one is any different or worth anything in the end.”
• Myth #4: “If I spend time and money training my employees, they will just leave.”
• Myth #3: “People coming in at ‘entry level’ don’t need a lot of skills – that can wait.”
• Myth #2: “My employees aren’t interested in more education or training.”
• Myth #1: “Technology is the young person’s domain these days – If I need more technical skills I just hire younger people – they don’t need training."

Conclusions:
These 10 Myths About Basic Computing Skills are not the only misconceptions out there.  But they are disconcertingly common as excuses to avoid the obvious and inevitable need for a program of continuing improvement in technology life skills for everyone. 

As the pace and scale of change increases, education in the 21st century must be a continuous, life-long process.  And the best way to get started is to get the basics.

If you think you – or your employees – already have the basics – you can discover whether you are correct through a simple and inexpensive assessment also offered by through Ohio Computing Unlimited’s program called TechReady™.  TechReady is correlated to the ICDL certification program and leverages the ICDL definition of basic computing skills.  For a few dollars per person, employers can determine where their staffs stand – and then take action to bring employees up to whatever standard is appropriate. 

Ohio Computing Unlimited is introducing ICDL because it is a program designed for the continuous learning world of the 21st century.   It does not probe the airy heights of the newest or most complex technology.  But ICDL does provide a standard – universally acknowledged level of knowledge from which to move on.

Ohio’s computing capacity for employees and student will be unlimited when everyone has the basic level of knowledge needed to perform the basic functions required for survival in today’s educational and professional worlds.

Don’t ignore the basics.  Embrace them, and look into ICDL as a mechanism for getting on the right road of continuous learning for the employees of your enterprise.

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

No 1 - Perhaps the most dangerous myth about computer skills training

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Myth #1: “Technology is the young person’s domain these days – If I need more technical skills I can just hire younger people – they don’t need training."

Don’t mistake confidence for competence.  If American business could thrive solely on cell phone and game console skills, this statement might be correct.  However, that is not the case – one has to consider the evidence that young people leaving high school and entering college or going into the workplace are woefully behind in their knowledge of business oriented applications – the kinds of applications covered by ICDL. 

Young people have grown up with more onscreen displays and cryptically-labeled buttons than the over-30 crowd, certainly.  But – understandably - they have mastered only those applications that they use – and that interest them.  Unless a young person has had to master professional document creation, or has faced the kinds of problems a math-focused application like a spreadsheet might require, or any of a myriad other situation commonly found business – but not in high school – there is no reason to expect that young person to have even attempted those skills, much less mastered them. 

Stories are rampant about both the highly skilled and the woefully unskilled.  About the lack of what many consider common knowledge – as well as stories about incredibly capable individuals who had skills and knowledge beyond their years.  So what’s new? This has been the case for centuries.  The boys and girls of the AV club spend their free time playing with technology, and are impressive at using the tools. 

But on average, young people – without any special training or attention – have no better facility with the common business applications than any adult who has not been trained.  Both groups – students and workers – need help and training.  ICDL provides both the means and the incentive through the study programs included in the Ohio package, as well as through the certificate and documentation of their achievements – to provide a useful program for young people headed either to higher education or to the workplace.

Ohio’s community colleges, career centers and other community institutions are already supporting programs in this are.  ICDL offers both the users and the program providers a new kind of structure and a new set of worthy goals.

--> Watch for the last installment of this series - Conclusions - and a wrap-up of the 10 Myths about computer skills training in Ohio.

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

No. 2 - Myths about computer skills training

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Myth #2: “My employees aren’t interested in more education or training.”

Generally speaking, employees value what they perceive their employers value.  If basic skills and continuing education are important to the employer, they will be important to everyone in the organization.  Furthermore, everyone struggles with priorities and costs – and a clear signal from the employer can help immensely in sorting that out. 

Key factors keeping people from higher education are time and money.  If an employer can facilitate even one of those variables, it’s a fair bet that many people would be very interested in enhancing and proving their skills.  If your firm can’t subsidize tuitions, perhaps it would be possible to offer some extended lunch hours, or other “work-day” time when studying or classes could take place. 

Any kind of in-kind assistance will let employees know how important their knowledge base is to the mission of the organization, and to management, and to their careers.

ICDL is a valuable foundation program, but should not be considered a goal unto itself.  It is a milestone not a destination.  Ohio business will benefit from a “continuous education mindset.”

--> Watch for the next in the series: No. 1: “Technology is the young person’s domain these days – If I need more technical skills I just hire younger people – they don’t need training."

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

Honda promotes continuing education at Education Fair

Honda of America Manufacturing (HAM) has established itself as one of Ohio's pre-eminent employers.  Not only because of the size of its employee base, but also because of the attention the corporation pays to employee needs where those large numbers can effect savings or special benefits.

HAM has an extensive program enabling interested employees to take advantage of several different kinds of education opportunities.  Internal training is available online through an extensive library of courses provided by Element K.  And Honda also offers a tuition reimbursement program for employees who want to pursue a degree or other goals via any number of Ohio education institutions.

So how do you let employees know what their options are?  Well, you hold a fair - an "Education Fair."  For several years now, a variety of institutions (including OLN, representing of Ohio higher education at-a-distance) gather to introduce interested workers to their programs and options.  Centrally located in cafeterias in three of HAM's four Ohio plants, employees can explore several dozen exhibiting organizations during breaks, lunch and shift changes. 

I attended the event at the East Liberty plant, and while my particular focus is on computing skills training, it was gratifying to field a wide variety of questions about the Ohio Learns! catalog of thousands of online courses and nearly 200 degrees offered by Ohio schools, and the innovative E4ME program that enables prospective students to get a realistic sample of the college course online experience. 

As one might expect, a lot of people walked by the Fair - on their way to food or home - but those who did stop (numbered in the 100's) are taking the first steps to continuing their own education, or learning about key options for their kids.

An exciting day - and I personally look forward to similar experiences I hope will pop up with other companies, and certainly with Honda again, next year!

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

No. 3 - Myths about computer skills training

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Myth #3: “People coming in at ‘entry level’ don’t need a lot of skills – that can wait.”

If you are of a certain age – you may remember what “entry level” used to mean:  someone very new to the business and to the field, who could be minimally productive doing rote or routine tasks while picking up enough specific knowledge to move into more responsible positions. 

Things are typically much different today.  The few rote or routine tasks that are left, are candidates to be automated or outsourced.  Outside of charity hires – “entry level” today requires a new employee to adjust very quickly to the job and its patterns and – even if it is simply monitoring equipment – become capable of making key decisions about pacing of information flow, knowing when to call a supervisor to deal with a problem, often being capable of moving from task to task, filling in where necessary.  In short, “entry level” positions today often require advanced level of technical knowledge and decision-making capability. 

Managers who want their entry level people to be productive quickly, and to have the best shot at moving on and up in the organization, must be vitally concerned that new employees quickly gain a broad and focused knowledge of their technology environment. 

That’s where ICDL plays a key role, with a broad-based perspective on the foundation applications most businesses use to support basic functions.

--> Watch for the next in the series: No. 2: “My employees aren’t interested in more education or training.”

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

No. 4 - Myths about computer skills training

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Myth #4: “If I spend time and money training my employees, they will just leave.”

No responsible person takes a job lightly.  In a new job, even an experienced employee dedicates a tremendous amount of time to meeting new people, making new acquaintances, learning a physical layout, learning new procedures, getting into the comfortable pattern of life required to regularly attend a job.  All this beyond actually performing the tasks one has been hired to perform. 

Folding an educational and/or training program into that mix simply deepens the employee’s commitment – mentally and emotionally – to the job.  If that education brings additional benefit – pay, position, privilege – the employer should not be concerned about employees’ motives.  Hopping from job to job is painful and exhausting – and a well-treated employee will need to overcome huge personal obstacles before moving to another employer.

In short, if your employees jump because you’ve provided them with training to grow and improve their position – your problems go way beyond the training part of the program.  Time and again, research shows that advanced education and training contribute to employee retention, not the reverse.  ICDL can not only make an operation more productive, but also enhance the commitment of employees.

--> Watch for the next in the series: No. 3: “People coming in at ‘entry level’ don’t need a lot of skills – that can wait.”

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

No. 5 - Myths about computer skills training

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Myth #5: “There are certificate programs for everything – there’s no way to tell if this one is any different or worth anything in the end.”

ICDL already has over a million successful completers, with another 5 million in process, and employers and universities in 130 countries have recognized it’s value.  The value of a certificate program structured like ICDL is that it is performance- based – the certification tests have been validated (at a level much like the validations of the SAT and ACT tests used for college admission) independently – and have been found to measure just what they purport to measure.  Furthermore, application is currently under review by the American Council on Education (ACE)  to recommend ICDL for up to 3 hours of college credit.

Everyone who completes the ICDL certificate has crossed the same threshold of knowledge – and now has a known base of knowledge on which specialized training for specific tools and applications can reliably be built.

--> Watch for the next in the series: No. 4: “If I spend time and money training my employees, they will just leave.”

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)

No. 6 - Myths about computer skills training

What is this series about?  Please click to read the introduction.

Myth #6: “Security is simply a matter of tighter rules and stricter policies – training in computer skills won’t make a difference.  In fact, the more people know about the computer, the more exposed my organization is.”

In fact, knowledge is a key to security - if your people know where the boundaries of proper behavior are, they can more easily understand how to avoid crossing them, and what the consequences of a transgression can be.  If a computer user doesn’t understand what files are and how they are saved, then valuable work can be lost.  If they don’t know what to look for in a legitimate email – then they may innocently set free a virus throughout your system, or send information inappropriately. 

Security is a concern not only for management – but should be the concern of everyone who uses a computer in your organization.  Computers are powerful tools with ability to make an enterprise a success.  But like most powerful tools, in the hands of the uninformed, a computer can be a prodigious danger. 

ICDL can provide a first line of defense in knowledge about systems and how they should be handled safely and effectively.  With this base of understanding, it is easier to add specific rules or restrictions required for a particular enterprise.

--> Watch for the next in the series: No. 5: “There are certificate programs for everything – there’s no way to tell if this one is any different or worth anything in the end.”

(-- originally posted by Rich Bowers, Coordinator, Ohio IT Clearinghouse)