Turn Computer Skills to Cash
By Janet Attard

The tight labor market combined with "new economy" and the shortage of workers with adequate computer skills have combined to create an ongoing need for businesses to train their employees. Results of the 1998 Managing Workplace Technology survey sponsored by the Olsten Forum for Information Management shows that one in four managers and one in five staff employees still lack computer literacy skills.

With more than 80% of support staff and managers being required to use computers on the job, that lack of skills spells opportunity for entrepreneurs who can teach corporate workers the computer skills needed in the workplace. While 67% of the companies Olsten surveyed have inhouse training departments, the percentage of companies that use outside training in place of or in addition to inhouse programs has increased from 21% to 71% in the last four years.

What computer skills are most needed? According to the results of the Olsten survey, the top need is for training in groupware and collaborative computing. Next in priority are email and messaging; spreadsheet, and word processing.

The Olsten study surveyed trends in network-based computing, intranets, telecommuting, IS staffing, skills in demand and operating systems and features. It is available in Acrobat Reader format at http://www.olsten.com.

Copyright 1998 Attard Communications, Inc
All rights reserved


About the author
Janet Attard is the owner of Attard Communications, Inc., which provides editorial content, online community and web development services. She is the founder of the award-winning Business Know-How small business web site and information resource. Janet is also the author of The Home Office And Small Business Answer Book and of Business Know-How: An Operational Guide For Home-Based and Micro-Sized Businesses with Limited Budgets. She can be reached at (631) 467-6826 or by email at attard@businessknowhow.com.