New 'driving licence' set to boost computer literacy in the UK

New "driving licence" set to boost computer literacy in the UK

KeywordsInformation technology,Skills, Training

Three-quarters of the adult UK public believe they have good information technology (IT) skills. Yet 41 per cent of these people have had no formal training. The cost to business is enormous. A Coopers and Lybrand report shows that nine in ten company spreadsheets contain serious errors.

To raise the standard of IT skills in the UK, the British Computer Society has introduced a new qualification. The European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) provides a basic standard for entry-level IT skills and is recognized by 13 European countries.

It is open to anyone,regardless of age, education, experience or background and has already been successfully completed at trial centres around the country. Students can register for the course immediately.

Certified testing centres have now been established at 100 universities, further education colleges and commercial training centres across the country.

The ECDL syllabus is divided into seven modules and is designed to cover the key concepts of computing, its practical applications, their uses in the workplace and society in general.

Students will have to pass modules in the basic concepts of IT, using the computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, graphics and networking before receiving their certificate.

More information about the ECDL can be found at www.bcs.org.uk, or by contacting Peter Bayley at the British Computer Society, 1 Sanford Street, Swindon SN1 1HJ. Tel: 01793 417417;Fax: 01793 480270; e-mail: ecdl@hq.bcs.org.uk