Microsoft Software for All

The Washington state Employment Security Department announced that it is giving away all of Microsoft's software training courses to anyone who is registered in the state career-development program.

The Microsoft classes are available to all WorkSource customers, and for all of Microsoft's software, from Windows and Office to SQL Server and Windows Server.

This is the first time that Microsoft makes all of its tutorials available through an unemployment agency, and it is a one of-a-kind $350,000 contract, according to Jeff Johnson, the company's North America academic lead for the Microsoft IT Academy program.

All courses can be accessed from any computer, which allows people to work from home, from the library or from a WorkSource center, and there are available in several languages, without any limit to the number of people that can join the program.

A limited number of Technology Associate certifications will be available for free, and WorkSource customers will have the possibility to earn Office certification credentials for free, seattlepi reports.

Johnson said that both the basics and the advanced skills are included, as knowing a bit about computers has become vital in today's economy.

During a news conference at the WorkSource center in Auburn, Karen Lee, the Employment Security Department commissioner, said that this program is excellent for job seekers, as it will “make them much more competitive in the work market.”

There are six courses in the program and people should attend to more than one, but not at the same time:
1. Office 2003
2. Office 2007
3. Office 2010
4. Office and Windows
5. Technical training for IT professionals
6. Digital literacy for computer novices

You can register for the free Microsoft e-learning courses at Go2WorkSource.com. And if you are not sure how to do that, you can simply contact a local WorkSource office.