The Necessary Computer Skills

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Nowadays, nobody questions the significance of computer literacy. It is a fact that computer literacy is a crucial skill that is required in every sector of life—from studies to the job market. Bangladesh has already taken various steps to digitalise the country and hence is making an effort to implement them. There are many organisations who are offering such training programmes to develop computer skills.

Starting off in 2009, Pally Life Development Society (PLDS) have been working on helping to improve the lives and living conditions of the extremely poor in the remote villages of Bangladesh. To value human dignity, they emphasise on helping distressed women, disadvantaged children and vulnerable people in general and also focus on serving the poor honestly and impartially. Last year, in September, they launched a vocational computer training programme “Computer Studies for Students from Low Income Families Education- (CSS-LIFE)”, for the underprivileged students.

“We have launched this programme to build up a skilled manpower in our country and hence made it free of cost, so that the students of low income families can learn without any difficulties,” says Rehana Pervin, the project coordinator of CSS-LIFE. “Now we have a total of 144 students in our three programmes—Web Design and Application, Hardware and Networking and Graphics Design and Multimedia Programming, and each programme consist of 48 students,” she adds.

The primary focus of Web Design and Application programme is to provide a complete understanding of the construction of websites, basic computer knowledge such as MS word, MS excel, power point etc. Students can put their creativity to practical use and learn advanced techniques of Graphic Design and Multimedia Programming. Hardware and Networking course is helping the students to meet the challenges of the competitive job market in Bangladesh.

“I came to know about the programme from one of my uncles and then enrolled here in the Graphics Design and Multimedia Programming Course”, says 21-year-old Jui Meri Costa, one of the trainees of CSS-LIFE of PLDS, a 3rd year student of Finance, from Mirpur University. “The course is very helpful and educational indeed. The instructors are sincere and ready to solve our problems”, she adds. “Such training at other institutes is costly as opposed to the course being taught here."

Another trainee of Hardware and Networking Programme Parvej Sajib is a part time job holder in the marketing sector. According to this 27-year-old, the project coordinator, IT advisors and instructors are working relentlessly to train up the students. “As I believe that hardware and networking are related to the sales development and promotion of corporate companies.

PLDS has also created a flexible class schedule, for students who have part time and full-time job. The schedule is also helpful for young mothers, single parents and housewives.

The courses will be delivered over one full year and the diplomas will be given upon the successful completion of the curriculum at the end of the year. But the authority is thinking about extending the programme up to three years so that students can achieve a proper diploma in computer skills.