Opportunity Junction :: Contra Costa County

Hard skills training is a twelve-week curriculum that covers basic to advanced computer skills, business writing and other essential work place skills, including:

Computer Basics: Participants learn to work with a mouse, manipulate drop down menus, create and save files, and store and manage files with Windows Explorer.
Keyboarding: Participants learn proper typing form. Minimum required speeds are 25 words per minute on the alpha-keyboard.
Word Processing: Participants learn basic and advanced features of Microsoft Word, including:
1. Manipulating fonts (style, size, character spacing);
2. Setting margins and working with tabs;
3. Inserting symbols, applying borders, shading and colors, working with bullets, numbering and outlines;
4. Creating and modifying headers, footers and footnotes, and creating columns;
5. Using spelling, grammar and thesaurus features;
6. Copying, cutting and pasting text, printing with varying paper orientations and sizes, including labels and envelopes; and
7. Creating a document using a template, and creating, formatting, and manipulating tables, charts and graphs.
Spreadsheets: Participants learn basic and advanced features of Microsoft Excel, including:
1. Creating, spacing and printing a workbook with multiple worksheets, formatting with the Format Painter;
2. Changing column and row height/width, formatting cells and data in cells;
3. Inserting/deleting rows and columns, sorting information;
4. Finding/replacing data, using templates;
5. Working with AutoSum, writing formulas with mathematical operators and functions, using absolute and mixed cell references; and
6. Linking cells between worksheets, creating charts and changing data within charts.
Presentation Software: Participants are taught how to use the PowerPoint presentation software to create, enhance and deliver a presentation, including:
1. Creating slides and using templates;
2. Animating text and objects and adding graphics and cartoons;
3. Adding sound effects;
4. Using charts and embedded objects.
Database Management: Participants learn basic and intermediate features of Microsoft Access, including:
1. Creating a database with a wizard, adding, deleting and editing records and fields;
2. Creating a primary key, creating a one-to-many relationship, specifying referential integrity, displaying related records in a sub-datasheet and creating a database table using the wizard;
3. Designing and establishing query criteria, sorting fields in a query, creating a calculated field, using filters;
4. Creating and designing Forms and Reports; and
5. Importing and Exporting data, merging Access data with a Word document.
Bookkeeping: Participants learn how to use Intuit QuickBooks to:
1. Create invoices;
2. Apply payments;
3. Prepare deposits;
4. Input accounts payable and pay bills; and
5. Generate financial statements.
Email and Calendaring: Participants learn how to use Outlook to:
1. View, organize, create and edit email;
2. Insert file and web hyperlinks, send attachments;
3. Input and manage contacts; and
4. Create and update meeting requests;
Internet Applications: Participants learn to browse and conduct basic web research, establish an email account.
Shared Applications: Participants learn how to use Microsoft Organizational Chart, Microsoft Graph, Microsoft Draw, Clip Art, and skills such as copying and pasting information from one program to another and other features shared by the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
Business Writing: Participants learn basic punctuation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and writing formats such as business letters, memos, essays and resumes.