"In a technology-driven society, computer skills are becoming a requirement to complete your job efficiently and effectively," says Dr Karin Kemp, Procurement Manager for Continental Oil Mills. Without skills in the use of a computer as a business and communication tool, staff are experiencing difficulties in meeting the requirements of the job and the needs of the company on a global scale.

Management of Continental Oil Mills identified a need for IT skills training and embarked on a skills development programme to raise the level of skill to better equip staff members for their positions at the company.

Eighty staff members from Continental Oil Mills were selected to attend integrated skills development training programmes at Knowledge Network in Rivonia, Sandton.

The courses included skills training for those staff members who had limited exposure to working in an integrated computing environment and courses in the integrated use MS Word and MS Excel in a networked collaborative environment for those staff members who required a higher level of skill in these business tools to enable them to do their jobs.

"Knowledge Network is a training centre that equips you with the necessary skills to double your output and during the courses you gain the maximum skills needed to be more proficient in the workplace", says Dr Karin Kemp.

All courses were run using the Knowledge Network ILAMM (Integrated Learning and Mentoring Methodology).

"The learning methodology is unique and effective. Users gain skills quickly, and are able to apply them immediately to their jobs. The online manuals and onscreen help tools were covered in detail thus providing staff members with the coping skills needed to solve their  own problems on return to the office," says Dr Karin Kemp.