Microsoft Office User Specialist Program 
The new Microsoft Office User Specialist Program is an important evolutionary step in the world's adoption of computers in the workplace. As the computer becomes an accepted and integrated tool of every office, the focus is shifting to workforce technical competency.

A New Conversation About Computer Literacy 
This program has enormous potential to change the world's dialogue about computer literacy. Listen in on a new style of conversation that will happen in corporations, temporary employment agencies, educational institutions and training centers:

A Request for a Temporary Employee  
"Can you send me a Certified Microsoft Excel User for three days. We need to build our annual budget reports and those skills would be a perfect fit."

An Employment Interview 
"Computer experience? As you can see on my resume, I have four certifications from Microsoft. Last month I received my Expert Level in PowerPoint. To pass, I learned some cool ways to dynamically link data into a presentation."

A Community College Curriculum Catalog  
"To ensure a high level of employability, all students completing our two-year program will graduate with User Certification in at least two desktop packages."

A Trainer Talking to a Manager  
"The class was quite successful—85 percent of your group are now Microsoft Office User Specialists at the Proficient Level."

A Call to the Corporate Help Desk  
"To receive advanced help press ‘one’ if you are a Microsoft Office User Specialist."

Let's Get Specific About Skills  
The MASIE Center's study of Microsoft's new program highlights an enormous demand for skill certification and a workforce marketplace eager for global desktop performance standards.

The world is ready to get specific about computer skills:

• Employers want to know that temporary or new hires can work in a computerized environment.
• Employees want to know what skills they can take into the job market.
• Schools want to graduate students with valuable core computer skills.
• Buyers of training services want to know if their investment translated into usable skills.
• Computer support staff want to know the skill level of a user calling a help desk.

Certification of user skills will provide a much-needed level of specificity in the training, hiring, placement, development and support process. We believe corporations, temporary and employment agencies, educational institutions and the technical training industry will rapidly adopt Microsoft’s program throughout the world.

Performance Focus 
Microsoft deserves a thumb's up for keeping the emphasis on performance. Users will create and edit real documents using the actual programs. This is not a multiple choice or guess test of memorization ability. When a worker has the skills to use to perform work tasks on a program, they will be able to pass the certification exam.

Core Tasks Focus 
Microsoft has a down to earth appreciation of how their applications are used in offices. The user certification tests focus on the core tasks that are performed with these very robust packages. The exams have been designed to measure workforce productivity with the products. Training programs that map to these certifications will create high value learning objectives.

Computer Learning Uses Stimulated Memory  
We know that most computer users' memories are continually refreshed by the screen images. If you asked me to name the steps in conducting a mail merge, I would go cold. However, if you give me the Microsoft Word screen, I will quickly explore my way to a familiar prompt and dive right into the process. This certification process honors the reality of how computer users access their knowledge.

I Want it Now! 
When I hire a temp to work on our spreadsheets, I want to know that they can proficiently use the program. This exam's time limit of 30 minutes addresses the rate of product use. Slowpokes will find that more learning is required before they become certified.

Different Strokes for Different Jobs  
The Microsoft Office User Specialist program includes both proficient and expert levels. The performance competencies for each of these levels reflect a clear distinction in the complexity of document handling skills. As organizations standardize on desktop products, there continues to be a wide range of how the application is used in different jobs or offices. The proficient and expert levels are both high value skill designations that are clearly distinct for training, placement and even compensation purposes.

Remember Cost of Ownership  
Studies of the cost of ownership of a desktop computer in the workplace highlight the high price of support. When users don't know how to use their key desktop tools, the costs start rising. Informal support (from peers and over the cubicle wall) and formal support (from help desks and other IS groups) are the largest portion of the price of a PC. Many support requests are really teaching moments in disguise. Users that attain certification levels will often require a significantly lower cost of support.

We are impressed with the focus and testing process implemented in Microsoft's program. The care and attention that was put into this process will speed the acceptance of this new standard. The test security process will provide integrity to the certification that is missing from many skill assessment programs.

Audiences, Impacts and Predictions  
The MASIE Center interviews with key players in the targeted audiences for the Microsoft Office User Specialist program reveals a high intention to adopt these standards:

Corporate Human Resource Department  

• Use as a Pre-Employment Screen or Requirement
• Use in Job Specifications or Job Descriptions
• Use as a Performance Target for Employee Development
• Use in Ordering Temporary Staffing Contracts
• HR Managers were eager to hear of a certification process with the backing of a major player like Microsoft. They are looking for better tools to assess current and potential employees' computer skills.

Corporate Training Departments

• Use in Purchasing & Evaluating Training Services/Products
• Use in Structuring In-House Training Agendas
• Use in Motivational Programs for Skills Development
• Use in Testing Trainer Content Skills
• Use in Providing a Single Standard for Multiple Training Methods
• Use in Providing Employees With Marketplace Acceptance

Corporate Training Managers were excited about using the Microsoft Office User Specialist program as a basis for organizational wide computer literacy efforts. As more organizations are outsourcing portions or all of their training efforts, managers are looking for standards to assess the return on investment of their choices. Training Managers were also sensitive to the need of their employees to have more transportable skill assessment in the event of layoffs, downsizing or re-organization.

Corporate Information System Departments

• Use in Measuring User Competency Levels & Predicted Support
• Use in Allocating Targeted Support Levels
• Use in Increasing Organizational Conformity to Desktop Standards
• Use in Developing Desktop Skills for Technical Staff

We were surprised to include this group in our paper. Normally, one doesn't think of the IS group when it comes to desktop skill development of assessment. However, we found great interest in leveraging these certifications as part of a more strategic allocation of support. Several IS managers spoke of requiring a certification as a requirement for accessing support resources. Once again, the role of Microsoft and the internationalization of this standard is a big plus for IS Managers.

Temporary Employment Services

• Use in Selecting and Screening Potential Employees
• Use in Job Specifications and Contract Ordering
• Use in Setting Compensation Targets and Goals
• Use as an Agency Independent Standard
• Use as an Element in Agency's Overall Assessment Process

The Temporary Employment sector will be a major early adopter of this certification process. Their ability to sell a recognized set of skills is core to their success. A Microsoft recognized certification adds an extra level of clarity and assurance to their existing screening process. In addition, the millions of temporary employees around the world are a natural audience for this certification as a portable, recognized credential.

Educational Institutions

• Use as an Optional Certification
• Use as the Curriculum Objectives of a Course
• Use as a Core Graduation Requirement
• Use as a Technology Access License for Support Assistance
• Use as a Pre-Requisite for Specific Lab Courses

Educational Institutions, from Community Colleges to Technical Educational Centers to Secondary Schools have expressed interest in this program. The Microsoft Office User Specialist program can provide educators with an up-to-date target for computer literacy in a changing world. Schools are often criticized for teaching already obsolescent technology skills. Linking to a globally accepted certification will provide educators with a high value school-to-work target. We also heard interest from faculty tired of student's lack of core computer literacy needed to complete assignments. Watch for a number of higher education departments to adopt a Proficiency Level as a pre-requisite for class enrollment.

The Training Services & Products Industry

• Use as Course Titles and Agendas for Classes & Self-Paced Learning
• Use as a End-of-Class Performance Objective
• Use as a Common Objective for Multi-Method Materials
• Use as a Training Performance Measure and ROI Indicator
• Use as a Generator of Increased Interest in Training Services
• Use as a Trainer Content Competency
• Use as a Selection Tool for Varied Training Curriculum

The training marketplace will benefit from the Microsoft Office User Specialist program. This program creates a wide range of opportunities to refocus the application-training marketplace and to revitalize corporate interest in end-user training. Microsoft's decision to approve third-party courseware creates a natural opportunity for a new wave of programs, courses, on-line learning and other formats of training to hit the marketplace. Each of the previous sections' training needs will be harvested by the industry. Watch for a rapid re-alignment of end-user courses around the Microsoft Office User Specialist program certification levels.

The Big Picture 
Its research and interview processes persuade The MASIE Center that there is widespread demand, interest and support of the Microsoft Office User Specialist program. The success of this program will result in similar programs, with parallel formats, from other technology providers.

We believe that this program can change the conversation! Organizations need to become more specific about computer skills. Workers, targeting a rapidly changing workplace and marketplace, deserve a standard for documenting their skills and competencies. Computer training can use a much-needed refocus on performance and work.

During my initial interview with Microsoft, it was clear that the emphasis was on building an agreement on the skills needed to work in the office of today and tomorrow. The success of this standard will come from the active involvement of the temporary employment agencies, schools, corporations and the training industry. Microsoft's contribution to the future of workforce skill assessment will be the first international user certification."

Microsoft has taken an important first step with this program. We predict that this program will have wide reaching implications as the various organizations and industry segments integrate this certification in their business and implementation plans.

Published By:
The MASIE Center, 10 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-587-3522 info@masie.com http://www.masie.com

Computer Certification | MOUS Index | What is MOUS? | MOUS FAQ's | Computer Training Schedule

SEARK Home Page | Educational Programs | Educational Departments | WDC Home Page