Unemployed since December 2009, Concord resident Jorge Archundia has been grasping at every opportunity that could give him a leg up in his job search.
Recently, he stumbled on a free Microsoft program donated by the company to the state to spur employment. It offers online certification in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Access, as well as some specialized IT training programs. Archundia, 42, picked up the voucher at his local unemployment office to familiarize himself with Microsoft and boost his resume.
Algeria"When I was applying for jobs, I noticed that many companies wanted you to know these skills and I was missing a piece," said Archundia, who has two kids and has been living on a severance package from his former employer.
The voucher program is part of a nationwide push by Microsoft to improve the computer literacy of the workforce, and each state is allotted watches-p a number of vouchers for the free program based on its unemployment rate, said John Bunn, a Microsoft general manager in the region. New Hampshire received 5,675 vouchers in May.
Michael Powers, a community developer in the Office of Workforce Opportunity in New Hampshire, said the vouchers were originally only made available to the unemployed, but as of yesterday, they are available to the general public on a first -ome, first-served basis. He said of the 5,675 vouchers, about half are left. The vouchers, which are valued at about $300, have to be activated by Aug. 19.
"People can upgrade or freshen up their skills and get back into the workforce," Powers said.
Powers said most of the training programs take about 10 hours to complete and offer help with Microsoft 2003 and 2007. The vouchers are available to anyone over 18 in any of the 13 New Hampshire Works career centers throughout the state.
As the program is still in its infancy, Bunn said Microsoft doesn't yet have statistics on the success rate of the program, but he said anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that people are taking advantage of the free vouchers.
abercrombie clothing "Almost every job requires some technological aptitude. This can only spark economic growth," he said.
Archundia has just begun the training program and is focusing on learning Microsoft Access. He is already proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint from his previous job as a hotel front office manager. Through several interviews and conversations during his job search, he realized that not knowing Microsoft Access left a hole in his skill set.
He said the program is self-explanatory and surprisingly easy to use.
"Once I complete this, I think it will give me the extra thing I need to get the jobs I am applying for," Archundia said.
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