DePaul's Training Center programs are geared to provide students with a broad knowledge of basic skills for entry-level office work. Courses are also designed to provide students with a career path that is compatible with their skills and interests.

 

Credit

All graduates are eligible for continuing education credits from Portland Community College.

Course Format

Most of our clerical programs are self-directed, allowing the clients to work at their own pace. We offer open enrollment, so students can begin at any time.

Data Entry

This program prepares the student for production data entry performed directly from legible source documents at a rate of 10,000 strokes per hour to 12,000 per hour. The student is skilled at accurately entering data on a repetitive basis using a variety of database systems. The student will learn touch typing and ten-key by touch.

Office Assistant

The course provides the student with a general background in clerical office work. Individuals in this position are able to handle a medium to high volume of incoming telephone activity and perform filing, collating, light typing, and operating standard office equipment. The student learns the basics of word processing and spreadsheet software. In addition, telephone, filing, and recordkeeping skills are a part of this program.

Office Specialist

The program prepares the student to provide general office support for an administrator. Employees are expected to compose correspondence and reports as well as design layouts and keep office records. Extensive use of computer software such as word processing, spreadsheet, database, and desktop publishing are necessary.

Custom Skill Building Programs

With assistance and direction from the sponsoring counselor, we can build a customized training program tailored to the student's individual needs. Some students may require only an evaluation of current skills. Others may simply need a brush-up of specific courses, and still others who have a long history of office work may need only one or two computer courses. DePaul's Training Center programs have built-in flexibility to meet each student’s goals.

Customized Training Sessions

If your company or workgroup has a specific need we will create a custom program for you, and we will teach the course at our facilities or yours.

Skills list

ACCESS

Required for Office Specialist Program
Access is a database application that is becoming very popular among businesses. Its ease of use makes it an excellent learning tool for students. Students learn the three components of creating a database; creating a database structure, inputting data, and extracting information using forms, reports, and queries.

DATA ENTRY

Required for Data Entry Program
Introduces students to the basics of data entry using computers. Simulation exercises expose students to data entry for a variety of documents. Emphasis is placed on speed and accuracy.

ENGLISH - BASIC

This material is designed to improve the student/client’s overall writing capabilities, specifically focused on sentence structure, paragraph structure, and word usage. The student/client will work on proofreading skills as well as develop an ability to write in a professional tone, suitable for communication within the workplace.

EXCEL

Required for Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
This spreadsheet software includes many sophisticated business functions. Students learn the fundamentals of creating, editing, and formatting a spreadsheet including the use of formulas, functions, and graphics.

FILING

Required for Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Covers the principles used in the classification, arrangement, storage, and retrieval of business papers. Emphasis is placed on alphabetic, chronological, and numeric filing systems.

FORMATTING

Required for Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Students learn a variety of business forms including business letters, envelopes, memorandums, reports, and forms.

JOB READINESS WORKSHOP

Required for Data Entry, Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Students learn how to fill out job applications, write resumes and cover letters. Additionally, interview skills and techniques coupled with appropriate work place behaviors are instructed during Friday workshops allowing students to obtain and retain employment, conduct cold and warm marketing employment searches, and create network opportunities.

Prepares students to be successful in a workplace environment. Discussions include professional workplace behaviors, dealing with difficult people, customer relations, proper business dress, and meeting task expectations.

Guest speakers will also discuss topics related to job readiness. Previous workshops include: workplace harassment, workplace etiquette, job searching techniques, communication, resolution of conflict.

KEYBOARDING

Required for Data Entry, Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Students learn the fundamentals of touch-typing. Emphasis is placed on proper body alignment and ergonomics while learning the keyboard letters, numbers, and symbols.

KEYSTROKING

Required for Data Entry, Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Students learn the basics of the ten key pad. Emphasis is placed on development of speed and accuracy.

MATH - BASIC

Required for Data Entry & Office Assistant Programs
Includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, and percents.

OUTLOOK

Required for Data Entry, Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Students learn how to use Outlook. Outlook covers navigating, obtaining and using a free e-mail service, attaching and retrieving e-mail attachments.

PAGEMAKER

PageMaker is one of the most popular business desktop publishing software packages. Students learn the fundamentals of desktop publishing including page layout and design principals. Documents prepared include flyers, reports, forms, and brochures. Prerequisite: Word

POWER POINT

With this presentation software, students learn to prepare a set of slides or overhead transparencies for formal presentation to a large audience or small groups. Students will learn how to build an outline, design individual slides, and develop a slide show.

RECORDKEEPING

Required for Office Assistant Program
Covers basic journal entries for cash receipts, sales returns and allowances, petty cash, check book entries, customer billing, bank card credit slips, merchandise returns, and bank deposits for a small business.
Prerequisite: Math

SPELLING

Required for Office Assistant Program
Assists students in improving their spelling skills. Emphasis is placed on the most often misspelled words, proper use of similar words, and vocabulary.

TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES

Required for Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
Focuses on developing telephone skills critical to customer services. Exposes students to telephone etiquette. Includes multitasking in practical experience or simulation.

WORD

Required for Data Entry, Office Assistant & Office Specialist Programs
This is a sophisticated word processing program that is used in many businesses and state agencies. Students learn a variety of business documents and features including mail merge, sorting, tables, columns, headers and footers, footnotes, tab sets, and wizards.

 

Success stories

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