Grand Opening of DAFS’ New Computer Training Room!

By Cheryl Ring, Acting Manager, Computer Training Facility

Commissioner Waldron of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), and the State Training and Development Division in the Bureau of Human Resources are proud to announce the official Grand Opening of the State’s new in-house Computer Training Facility on:

Donuts and coffee will be served, but the main attraction will be the room itself! We have worked hard to ensure that our furnishings and equipment are state-of-the-art, and we’ve heard from more than one observer that we’ve succeeded. This large room is equipped with twelve student computers and two spares, two instructor-computers attached to an overhead LCD projector with a large screen in the front of the room, a printer and dedicated server, a whiteboard and flipchart, a telephone, comfortable, adjustable furniture, and two locked cabinets in which users may store hard drives or other teaching materials. Best of all, our partners in the Bureau of Information Services (BIS) have worked hard to provide each computer with an MS Explorer internet connection and to configure the hard drives to boot to either Windows 2000 or 98 operating system. (Extra special thanks to Ellen Lee, Kevin Jones, Dale Blake, and John Ellis from BIS for their concerted assistance!)

We will also soon have a permanent manager on board for the Computer Training Facility, who will provide instruction, coordinate scheduling, manage day-to-day operations, develop and conduct needs assessments, recommend programs, services, policies, procedures, and budgets for the computer training room; work with vendors and other outside resources, and partner with BIS as needed.

As Governor King says, "…our goal is to produce the most digitally literate society in the world" (from Learning Technology web page: http://www.maine.gov/governor/policy/learntech/) and DAFS is now prepared to provide a major push toward this vision with our new Computer Training Facility.

We will start by offering classes to DAFS’ employees in the use of MS Word and Outlook. Other classes will soon be added and extended to DAFS’ employees in the full array of MS Office applications, including Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. We will also immediately start scheduling training in the use of the new Time and Attendance Management System software (TAMS), as well as other MFASIS software. Before the first year is out, we intend to offer standard courses electronically (e.g. sexual harassment training), as well as to extend the training room to other users and uses throughout State government.

Our facility is self-funded, so a fee will be charged for its use to cover operating costs.

We will also set up several "Train-the-Trainer" classes, to begin to build a cadre of interested and talented State volunteer instructors who are able and willing to teach classes in Word, Outlook, and Excel. (If you’re interested, please e-mail me as soon as possible!)

The Commissioner is committed to having all DAFS’ employees receive relevant instruction in these MS Office applications. For employees who routinely use computers, we want to enhance overall competence in the optimal use of the software in order to realize the full potential of the machine’s computing power. For employees who don’t routinely use computers as part of their daily work schedules, we want to at least introduce these employees to the use of computers and standard software applications.

Our work plan also includes building quickly into other types of "best practice" learning opportunities, including:

• E-Learning of various sorts to assist both students & volunteer-instructors;
• Videoconferencing;
• Self-paced training via electronic courses;
• More "Train-the-Trainer" courses to ramp-up State employee volunteers to provide training; or
• Courses sponsored by the University or Technical Colleges.

So, we hope your schedule permits you to stop by on Valentine’s Day morning (with or without your sweetheart) to help us celebrate our new computer training facility in room 104 of the Cross Office Building!