Does having MOUS certified staff add value to any business? This is a question that can be asked of any training programme whether it leads to certification or not. Ideally it will be added value otherwise your training programme needs re-visiting. How though, do you decide which qualification route is more beneficial, this question I feel is best answered by those who have tried various routes and would benefit others by adding their findings at the bottom of this article.
MOUS stands for Microsoft Office User Specialist and through their certification programme proves that those people who have gained this qualification have the right skills to effectively know how to put Microsoft applications to best use within their working environment.
The Microsoft Office User Specialist certification programme covers all major Microsoft applications. Recent editions to the programme are Office 2000 and Office 97 and also Project 2000. These are offered at two levels, for Office 2000, core and for Office 97, proficient and expert.
Core or Proficient Level
This tests the candidate's ability covering basic and intermediate tasks in any of the office applications e.g. in Word 2000, text and paragraph formatting, printing, page numbering, tables, pictures and charts.
Expert
These examinations go into more detail e.g. in Word 2000, creating tables of content, text columns, creating and using macros, performing merges and embedding objects from other Office applications.
MOUS Master
You can also receive certification for the above by passing the highest-leve exams of the major components of Office 2000 or Office 97.
Benefits of MOUS certification
- Improved marketability both for the individual and organisation
- Improved productivity and communication
- Reduce turnover
- Lower technical support costs
Additional Points
By providing a MOUS accreditation programme you are:
- implementing standards that can be measured
- benchmarking your training programmes
Your organisation can become an authorised testing centre, to find out what this entails, visit MOUS Overview if you require general information. If you are a Corporate organisation, or Educational establishment or IT Training Centre.
If you are searching for individual certification visit Steps to MOUS certification.
