Workshops boost software skills

HANDS-ON APPROACH: Bob Cipriano, an instructor of intensive one-day workshops in computer programs, is seen in his classroom on the Lincoln campus of Community College of Rhode Island. / PBN PHOTO
HANDS-ON APPROACH: Bob Cipriano, an instructor of intensive one-day workshops in computer programs, is seen in his classroom on the Lincoln campus of Community College of Rhode Island. / PBN PHOTO

Sure, the employee can navigate documents in Word, read through files sorted by Excel and create a PowerPoint presentation.

But how many can honestly say they know how to analyze data and create effective reports and presentations?

At the request of Rhode Island employers, the Community College of Rhode Island has introduced a series of intensive, daylong classes focused on the most widely used business-software programs.

The classes cost $99, a moderate amount intended to appeal to small businesses and individuals paying their own way.

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Taught by instructor Bob Cipriano, the one-day computer workshops are offered in the following subjects: Microsoft Word 2013; Basic Excel 2013; Advanced Excel 2013; Microsoft PowerPoint 2013; and Microsoft Access 2013.

Created this year, the classes will be offered each semester. Cipriano, an instructor who previously taught similar offerings in occasional courses at Bryant University and the University of Rhode Island, said the workshops appeal to employers who can afford to lose an employee for a day of training, or for individuals trying to bolster their skills.

The noncredit courses will be available beginning in February.

Based on previous enrollments, the most popular course is Excel, a program that allows users to analyze numerical data.

Less enrolled is Microsoft Word, Cipriano said, which many people think they know, but aren’t getting the most from. Most people know how to create and save documents, but are not using the full range of tools available through the software, including effective formatting.

“People don’t know how to effectively use bullets or numbers,” he said. “Modern business writing requires significant formatting, or none of us are going to read the thing. Bolding, italics, bullets, numbers, those are formatting [devices].”

With Excel, many of the students who enroll have had some previous experience with it. But while it’s an effective program, if it isn’t something people use regularly, they can forget how to navigate it.

It is a widely used program in business, the most popular program for analyzing numeric data. “There are a lot of numbers to be crunched, a lot of lists to be organized in every business,” Cipriano said.

Once someone learns it, the program makes data analysis easy. “It’s user-friendly,” he said.

“The one thing about Excel is if you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it,” Cipriano said.

The one-day workshops compete with similar offerings at community-education centers, at other colleges and with online offerings. The one aspect that distinguishes them from an online course, such as ED2GO, also offered through CCRI, is the instructor.

“The big advantage is I can see your eyes,” Cipriano said. “I know when you’re not getting it. And you can’t get away with as much in the classroom. Online, people are multitasking like crazy and they’re not getting it. If we’re in person, I see you comprehending, or not comprehending, and if you need help, I will come over to help you so you can’t get lost.”

CCRI is marketing the classes directly to businesses, through its human resources offices, as well as advertising them on the college website, according to Kristen Cyr, a spokeswoman for the community college system.

Cipriano, who also teaches time-management and soft-skills classes, said his students represent a diverse range of experiences. Some take the daylong class because they don’t have a job, and want to improve their resume and skills. They can afford the moderate cost without assistance, he said.

Other students are employed in companies, and working with the programs, but know they aren’t getting as much out of them as they could, or don’t understand how the documents or files were created.

PowerPoint, for example, is fairly easy to learn but the class offers guidance on what makes an effective presentation. One of the first things Cipriano teaches students is to get to the point quickly.

“There’s a bad tendency on the part of corporate America to tell a story, whether it’s in their email, their word processing or their PowerPoints. So, we’re watching this PowerPoint presentation, and wondering where it’s going. It’s not a movie. Give me your statement of purpose. It’s not a secret.”

Not only do students learn how to create effective slides, he said, but also what is an effective slide. “What is too much information, what is too little? How many pictures are good? Do you really want to animate this to death? You learn how to animate, but ultimately, you have to keep it simple.” •

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