The Academy of Learning Career College (AOLCC) equips students with the skills they need to thrive in today’s job market. Regardless of students’ backgrounds, our welcoming community is here to support you on your journey towards new and fulfilling careers.
A case in point is alumna Anna O’Neill, a graduate of our Business Office Skills Diploma program. After a career as a general labourer, Anna needed to pursue a new career path and to do that she needed the computer skills that today’s employers demand. While Anna had felt intimidated by computers for a long time, with the help of AOLCC she learned the tech skills needed to boost her career.
AOLCC’s Business Training Helped Anna Become More Comfortable with Computers
Anna’s previous work didn’t require much computer use. As she says, “Before enrolling in Academy of Learning I had always worked in general labour jobs.” That all changed, however, when mobility issues meant she needed to find a new career. Of course, many careers today require computer skills, but that fact presented a challenge for Anna. “I had minimal computer skills,” she says, “and to be honest felt daunted by computers!”
Fortunately, AOLCC’s business training program is set up for students of various skill levels, even those who have limited computer knowledge. For example, students who have no formal training in keyboarding can learn how to use a keyboard in our business program, which can help them unlock many other computer and workplace skills.
“The biggest hurdle was realizing that I wasn’t going to “break” the computer by pushing the wrong key,” Anna says, “Working through the course material I was able to increase my comfort level and learn much about the tools available.”
AOLCC Created a Welcoming and Supportive Environment
Given that Anna had a few computer skills, it was important that she find a school that provided hands-on training at a pace that worked for her. AOLCC’s Integrated Learning System and trained instructors provided just that. “I was able to work at my own pace,” she says. “When help was needed the facilitators were always there to walk me through.”
Anna was also concerned about how she would fit in. “I was nervous about being an older student and feeling out of place,” she says, “but it’s a friendly and welcoming environment.” In fact, AOLCC works hard to create a sense of community and belonging for all students.
Now, Anna plans on using what she learned in AOLCC’s business school in order to “seek employment where I can use my new skills.” Her journey through AOLCC has taught her important computer skills that employers today demand, such as Windows, Microsoft Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. With such skills, Anna is now empowered to seek out a new career with confidence.
And for anybody else who feels intimidated by computers but wants to improve their chances of landing a better-paying business career, Anna has words of encouragement: “I would recommend this program to people wanting to get comfortable around computer use and interested in discovering all the different things various programs can do.”
Do you want to improve your business office skills?
