Further developments with free on-line training opportunities! (Tektra)

Member Name: WHISTLINGTOADS

Product:	Tektra
Date:	15/07/01 (356 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Almost Free , learning , opportunity

Disadvantages: Must sacrifice , some personal time , to be a success

I found a very useful opportunity to train using IT (On or Off Line coaching) to get qualifications in IT from basic user to programmer level over the next 12 months, This is through a web site that offers a Government grant of up to £200 that is open to anyone providing they contribute the first £35 for 6 months or £50 for 12 months....this can be fully refunded if you take the European Computer Driving Licence qualification which is very basic.... and this is an offer for over 700 professional courses. I have been studying some of the materials onthe course and can report that they are very user friendly especially for anyone not used to studying. I am learning excel and for years I have found this difficult. The course presents it very simply with diagrams and pictures of the screen as one uses excel.

The offer of financial support is made through the government's Individual Learning Account or ILA worth over £200 per individual.... anyone can apply even if you are in work, for one of these accounts. This is to help people to develop their skills in a lifelong learning economy. Since my first article on this subject the booking conditions have changed. Applicants are now offered one full week's access to free on-line training in any of the courses so you can have a good look round and try out some courses. After this, you need to pay £35 for a six month access to courses or £50 for 12 months access. All refunded if you take the European computer driving licence qualification mentioned above.

Courses include:-
Business Communication,Writing Skills, Customer Service,Grammar Skills, Basics of Business Maths,Motivation,Negotiating, Closing the Deal,Professional Development and Management

Time Management, Word, Excel, Access 2000, Computer Security Awareness,Database Concepts,Programming: DP Concepts, Introduction to Teleprocessing,Networking: Data Communication for End Users, Computer Basics,European Computer Driving Licence 1
-10, The World Wide Web and Electronic Mail...etc, etc...

If you locate the site www.epacts.co.uk/ and then apply for any of their courses you can be registered by filling in the forms on-line using the following:-

Apply in your own name giving your details, then enter hotvouchers in the selection box that deals with how you will pay.... then add the following credit card number and expiry date:= 1021095353 10/01. This number has been given by Epacts to bypass their usual credit card booking procedures so that you do not need to risk using your card on a non-secure site. The number also lets Epacts know that you have heard about this course on-line.

In a couple of days you should receive some forms to complete from Epacts; the training company and when you return these, your ILA will be activated and a password will be sent out so you can access the courses on-line.

I try to study something different each year (from web sites to weaving) and this is an on-line alternative to local adult education classes that cannot always meet our needs. As a source of funds for training, I am pleased to be able to get something back from the government after paying taxes over many years.

I only wish that there were other opportunities like this for people to access computers and courses in IT as I have a number of interested neighbours who would love to get on line but they are all over 70 years old and too infirm to travel to our town library to use the net, and too poor to buy PCs.

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