[quinda]

I'm doing a business related course, and as a part of it we're being made to do some 'basic skills' stuff to prove that we are literate, numerate, and have a basic grasp of IT.

I honestly can't believe the junk they do on CLAIT at the moment. The course is so basic it is pittiful. How come you need at least 5 A*-C GCSEs to get most jobs, yet your IT only needs to be at the equivalent of primary school level?

I have an older friend doing ECDL at the moment - he has been a manual labourer all his life, and he wants to update his skills as he suspects he may be made redundant in a years time. Even he thought ECDL was 'basic' and he only uses his computer to painstakingly type out messages to friends and family from time to time.

Does anyone else think that its about time the bar was raised a little on these so called 'IT qualifications'?

[CG Man]

I got a qual in IT I had to do it when I was on the New Deal skeme years ago, can't remember what it was the lowest qual im sure. The most complicated task was learning how to send emails. Can't believe I had to pick up the certificate at the town hall with photographers there.

At college I did a graphic design course using computers all they had was a painting program that had six tools, curved shapes or editing were not possible. They never mentioned the important basics of creating design for print, I learned all that when I got a job at a printers and they had to teach me from scratch. So I've spent two years of my life learning nothing and getting certificates for it and being told by careers advisors I need these certificates to get a design job.

[Wolfeymole]

CLAIT and ECDL are aimed at the masses Quinda but I feel you talk about them in a somewhat derisory manner and with the benefit of already knowing what they encompass anyway.
What you have to bear in mind is that the older generation could not use computers simply because they were not invented.
I gained my Microsoft certification in such a place that your older friend is doing his ECDL and the place was frequented by quite a large amount of middle to older end people who knew nothing regarding computers but wished to do so.
I admired them.
We could of course have everyone start on a CompTIA A+ course or perhaps an MCSE.
How say you?