Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Computer Classes Available from PCC Community Ed

PCC Community Ed

Did you know that experts believe more than 77% of jobs will require computer skills and technology knowledge as soon as 2020? If you’ve had a job in the past ten years you’re much more likely to believe it’s 100%, but who are we to argue with the U.S. Bureau of Labor? This statistic might be staggering, but not when you realize how quickly technology has infiltrated every moment of our lives. In China they are even using computers for a social credit system! Yikes! At PCC Community Ed we are not using artificial intelligence quite yet – but we DO recognize everyone uses computers, and sometimes we could all use a little refresher to improve efficiencies and make our lives easier.

Tech in the Home Office or the Job Market

You would expect to need computer knowledge if you’re training to work in tech, but there are a wide range of personal activities and jobs that require a significant level of computer proficiency.

• Small business owners require a variety of digital literacy – from Quickbooks to social media technology
• Medical and health professionals are now responsible for managing spreadsheets related to budgeting, reporting and compliance – as well as handling secure electronic health records on computers or with handheld devices
• Many entry-level or gateway positions require employees to be versatile with spreadsheet, word processing and presentation software

What Are the Most In-Demand Computer Skills?

With jobs that don’t require computer access becoming increasingly obsolete, computer skills that support productivity and collaboration are in high demand. Many organizations also consider intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite programs an asset – but many of the formulas and functions are now transferable to products made by Microsoft competitors. Consider the following courses to improve, refresh or elevate your computer-related skill set:

• Word: The premier word processing platform, ideal for creating everything from legal documents to invoices, business cards to college papers.
• Excel: Creating simple spreadsheets or complex numerical analyses requires use of Excel – especially for creating actionable reports.
• PowerPoint: Visual communication is extremely powerful, especially as businesses expand globally. PowerPoint allows you to create colorful and engaging presentations for meetings or seminars.
• Calendars: Whether it’s Outlook, iCal or Google Calendar – these platforms are used around the world both in desktop, web and mobile versions – and they’re increasingly performing sophisticated actions.

Not every job will require broad-scale office productivity software. There are plenty of specialty talents that require increased knowledge of software that can enhance your earning potential, too.

Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design Software

Printed and digital marketing and communications materials are a highly viable way to share your message with the world. Increasingly, many office roles require a basic understanding of graphic programs from the Adobe Creative Cloud. .

• Photoshop is advanced photo editing software that allows you to create nuanced designs by restoring, editing and manipulating images.
• Illustrator provides highly detailed, vector artwork that is based in mathematics and can be effectively scaled larger and smaller without losing image quality.
• InDesign is an exceptional desktop publishing platform that integrates well with Photoshop and Illustrator to create cohesive, multi-page marketing and advertising materials such as magazines, banners and brochures.

While some graphic design professionals choose to use either Illustrator or Photoshop for their primary design platform, a solid knowledge of all three provides you with highly marketable skills for the future. In fact, some of the most in-demand skills include creating online advertising campaigns and launching social media programs.

Where will your future jobs take you? When you gain a solid foundation with computer skills and technology classes, you can acquire a type of agility that prepares you for whatever type of project you encounter in the future. Learn more about improving your computer skills with Portland Community College’s comprehensive list of computer and technology courses.