Time for a break from computers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 315, 28 November 1989, Page 12

Time for a break from computers

After 22 weeks' tutoring, computer technician Jenny Hare has had to tell eight people to go home.

Tucked away next to the BNZ in Ohakune for most of this year has been a small group of ACCESS trainees, tapping away at computer keyboards and studying screeds of computer printouts. The eight trainees recently completed their course, with many planning to return in 1990 to learn more advanced techniques. So far they've covered areas such as word processing and data entry, file maintenance and trouble shooting through to programming. They now know their way around such computer operating systems as MS Dos, which stands them in good stead as far as understanding how computers operate. Course tutor Jenny Hare says the trainees, who range from school leavers to a mother of college aged children, have had no problem with motivation. She says on the contrary, she's had trouble making them go home or take lunch breaks, they've been sc engrossed in their learning at times. There's only been one dropout, says Jenny, and that was for family reasons. The programming they have been working on included practical applications such as

those for farm and ^market garden operations. For these projects the trainees needed to learn a lot about the operations of a farm or garden to be able to apply a software package. Other programmes include systems analysis for local shops and administration and budgeting packages for coping with Tomorrow's Schools. As for employment Jenny says at least one of the trainees is suitably trained with her aim being to have five trainees employed by

the end of 44 weeks' training. Next year Jenny and Rivendell Educational Courses, who she works for, hope to get more machines so that trainees can have one each. There is a lot of work to be done away from the keyboards, especially in programming work, so having limited numbers this year wasn't a great problem, says Jenny. The trainees have been encouraged to use the computers for their own, practical uses, such as home budgeting, word processing letters to friends and even handling sports club accounts.