Tips for Applicants

When you consider making an application please remember the following points:

• Follow the instructions given in relation to each post with great care ensuring that you provide the accurate title and reference number when making an enquiry.
• The closing date is ten working days from the date of this list unless otherwise stated on the individual advertisement.
• All information provided will be treated in confidence and will only be used in connection with your application for employment.
• You must not canvass any Member or Officer as this could disqualify your application.
• Job sharing or other arrangements to help with personal circumstances may be available.  If you are interested please make enquiries when you apply.
• If you have a disability reasonable adaptations may be made to any of the jobs on this list in order to allow you to undertake them.  If you have a disability please discuss the situation with the advertising organisation.

Do I have sufficient computer skills?

Not all County Council jobs demand that you have computer skills, so please do not be put off if this is an area in which you don't feel very strong. Look at the job details and check. Even if this is an area where you need to improve the County Council may be able to offer training opportunities.

For many jobs, particularly those in administration and management, computer skills are vital

Just as you need to own a driving license before being allowed to drive a car, in just the same way, having The European Computer Driving License is evidence that you have a recognized level of proficiency when using IT.

This qualification has been adopted by Worcestershire County Council as the benchmark for basic IT skills within the organization and is now appearing in Job Descriptions and Person Specifications where IT skills are a requirement of the post.

Computer skills are increasingly important to most of us in all walks of life and there are very few jobs for which you do not need at least a basic knowledge of IT, so achieving the ECDL will provide you with evidence that you are able to use when applying for posts.

The European Computer Driving License (known as the ECDL) is a professionally recognized IT qualification which covers the key areas of computing. It is broken down into seven modules and you need to pass each module to achieve the qualification. It is called The European Computer Driving Licence as it is based on a single agreed European syllabus in order to achieve a common standard and, within the UK, is administered and audited by the British Computer Society.

ECDL accreditation will

• Allow you to gain accreditation for the IT skills you may already have
• Help raise your levels of competency in IT & computer skills
• Help improve your productivity
• Increase your job satisfaction
• Give you an internationally recognized qualification with transferable skills
• Improve your job prospects (think about that promotion or job change you would like)

Below is a link to the ECDL official web site which you will find useful if you want to find out more about this accreditation.

http://www.ecdl.co.uk/