Microsoft IT Academy
CraigOwl Communities is a satellite centre of the Dundee Microsoft IT Academy and delivers the prestigious Microsoft Office Specialist certification parogramme. You may be able to fund your course using the ILA system.
Microsoft Office Specialist
The Microsoft Office Specialist certification programme is the only comprehensive, performance-based certification program approved by Microsoft to validate desktop computer skills in these Microsoft Office desktop productivity programs: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access.
The Microsoft Office Specialist certification program provides computer program literacy, measures proficiency, and identifies opportunities for enhancement of skills. Successful candidates receive a Microsoft Office Specialist certification credential that sets them apart from their peers in the competitive job market. The certificate is a valuable credential that is recognized worldwide as proof that an individual has the desktop computing skills needed to work productively and efficiently.
The Microsoft Office Specialist program offers four levels of certification: Specialist, Expert, Master, and Master Instructor.
| Specialist certification | Expert certification | Master certification | |
| Overview | Candidates must successfully complete any one of the Specialist exams in the following list: | Candidates must successfully complete any one of the Expert exams in the following list: | Candidates must successfully complete three required exams and one elective exam in the following list: |
| Exams |
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Required exams:
Elective exams:
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Earning Office Specialist certification acknowledges you have the expertise to work with Microsoft Office programs. Office Specialist-certified individuals report increased competence and productivity with Microsoft Office programs as well as increased credibility with their employers, co-workers, and clients. Office Specialist certification sets you apart in today's competitive job market, bringing employment opportunities, greater earning potential, and career advancement — in addition to increased job satisfaction.
Certifications are available for the following Office 2003 programs.
- Word Core
- Word Expert
- Excel Core
- Excel Expert
- Access
- PowerPoint
A certificate is issued on passing each module.
Each course can be funded by an Individual Learning Account (ILA) which provides up to £200 towards learning per year if your income is less than £22,000 per year. Follow this link to our information on ILAs
All CraigOwl Microsoft Office Specialist courses cost £100.
Study can be carried out at home or by attending one of our learning centres. Attendance is flexible and studying is at your own pace. Testing is carried out by Dundee College at Constitution Road Campus. A text book is provided and one to one support is available at our centres. A trial copy of Office 2003 is provided with the text book so that exercises can be completed at home.
For further information or to book on a course please contact Scott Deans on 01382 508605; email scottdeans@craigowl.com
Background
The Scottish Industry Alliance for Jobs is a partnership with Microsoft, Cisco, learndirect scotland and other partners and aims to build on the existing capacity of the learndirect scotland branded learning centre network to deliver high quality, industry-led training across Scotland. It is intended that this will lead to higher skilled and higher paid employment opportunities for young people, the long term unemployed and those who are economically inactive in Scotland.
Together with partners, learndirect scotland has committed to this Alliance for Jobs to provide IT training to 100,000 disadvantaged individuals by 2010, to improve their employability skills and to meet the future skills needs of business. Drawing on a range of eligible funding and complementary programmes, community learning centres will develop this approach to bridge the learning divide and create job opportunities for those furthest removed from the labour market.
Dundee College is acting as a ‘hub’ centre to coordinate training opportunities to satellite centres in Tayside. Four satellite centres are delivering training in the community. These are CraigOwl Communities, Claverhouse, Dundee International Womens’ Centre (DIWC) and Support Training (Perth).