Student Achieves Specialist Status in New Microsoft IT Academy & Training Centre

28 May 2014

Jason Hannah is the first student to have achieved Microsoft Office Specialist status at The Sixth Form College, Birkenhead. The Microsoft Office Specialist Training course allows students to develop advanced skills with the Microsoft Office suite which consists of popular programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

The course is taught exclusively in the college’s Microsoft Academy Training Suite which was opened by Mike Morris, Microsoft Business Manager for Further Education, earlier this year. The suite is fitted with the latest technology and software from Microsoft, providing students with the best opportunity to enhance their IT skills.

Upon attaining his qualification Jason, who is studying English and ICT at the College, said “The skills I have obtained from the Microsoft Office Specialist Training course have helped to improve my coursework as I now understand the advanced side of Microsoft Word which has helped me increase the speed and the quality of my work.”

The course was started as a trial this academic year with a select group of students. Following the course’s success, the college is expanding the number of students to which the course will be offered as well as the possibility of allowing members of the public and local businesses to participate in the program.

Helen Bullock, the Digital Learning Advisor who administers the programme to the students, described the course: “The MOST Course is focused primarily on three of the main programs of the Microsoft Office Suite – Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint. Once a student has passed the three modular exams - one in each program - they achieve their Microsoft Office Specialist status. We are all very proud of Jason being the first student to achieve this and he is now working toward becoming a Microsoft Specialist Expert – the next level of progression for the course.”

“We are very fortunate to have such a fantastic resource to be able to offer to students who might not otherwise choose IT as a subject. This course allows them to gain the professional IT qualification that they need to make their CV stand out to prospective employers as well as providing them with skills that can aid their studies”