Extra Mile Training - IC3 Courseware & Test Centre - Advanced Training for MS Office & MYOB

My name is Pam Martin and I set up Extra Mile Training to help a group of people who are busy keeping this country's economy working but seem to miss out on training and development. They are the mature people who work in business support.

In the 2001 census 87% of legislators, administrators and business managers were over 30 years old. They left school before computers were introduced into school classrooms. They have taught themselves to use a computer and other types of technology, usually around the job they do.

Now this group, who often have remarkable skills and experience, find themselves at a disadvantage because they don't feel confident around technology. They feel defensive and lack the confidence to ask their younger colleagues to help for fear of appearing stupid. It made me angry to see people who play such a vital role in New Zealand's economy being left out in the cold.

Having worked in Business Support myself I know what a thankless task it can be. Support staff are often overworked and undervalued and yet they are the heart of New Zealand business. They understand the customers and the suppliers. They ensure that orders are processed accurately and on time, keep records and deal with financial matters such as payments and payroll. They also act as a hub for the business providing a central point of contact for staff and management as well as having a broad base of valuable knowledge about the company, staff and customers.

Women in this role are frequently second wage earners with growing families, who tend to put their professional development needs on hold in the face of the need for job security. They can't afford the time or money for a full time course and part time courses are often too general for their needs.

Men are hindered by similar difficulties with computers. The changing roles within administration have left them facing the challenge of producing letters and reports, which would previously have been completed by their secretary

These are the people who need help to up skill to provide a strong foundation for the Knowledge Economy.

As Community Education Coordinator at Rangitoto College I had an opportunity to observe how community education caters for this group. They provide general courses on computing etc. but the classes are often run by teachers with no experience of the working environment. Classes covered a wide range of age and ability so usually had no practical value.

When I left Rangitoto College I started to investigate training programmes and found that there was nothing available that was targeted at this group. I began to search for research or articles on the training needs of mature workers in business support roles who needed to increase their skills. It is interesting that I could find no specific research. I even contacted various groups such as the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust, who fund a lot of research, and they couldn't find anything either.

The courses that are available seem to cater for every ethnic and cultural group, unemployed, beneficiaries, ACC clients, youth, and even new immigrants but not the people who keep their noses to the grindstone and get on with the work. Many Private Training Enterprises (PTEs) cater for courses, which attract government grants or student loans, but these took too long or would cost too much. Others were focused on the corporate market and as such charged corporate rates.

I decided that there needed to be a special type of course that would specifically cater for the needs of mature adults working full time in business support. I went to AUT to study Tertiary Teaching and spent a lot of time talking to the people I wanted to help.

As a result Extra Mile Training was created to provide a learning experience where mature adults can come to learn without feeling self-conscious about the gaps in their knowledge. Where the qualified tutors also have practical experience in the real world. The practical courses are designed to take account of the student's work and life experience and covers skill areas that will help them reach their goals. They will also acknowledge the belief that an element of fun and laughter helps everyone to learn better.

I want students to look forward to coming to Extra Mile Training and to return to their jobs having learned skills that will make a real difference to the work they are doing. Extra Mile will be there to support them if they need assistance and I hope they will come back again and again because they want to be a part of our new approach to teaching mature adults.