ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 13, 2018) -- Paradigm Education Solutions, one of the nation’s leading providers of digital literacy learning solutions, is pleased to announce that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has adopted its courseware to help thousands of incarcerated individuals statewide become highly proficient using Microsoft^® Office applications—a key competency for achieving employment in today’s labor market.

In today’s digital world, many employers expect strong keyboarding skills as part of a prospective employee’s basic skillset. According to TopTenReviews.com, employees are expected to be capable of typing an average of 65 words per minute (WPM).

By Denise Seguin Students arriving at campus this fall have grown up with the Internet and a smartphone as part of their daily life. For most, using a computer began as a young child. Because of this prior technology experience some students arrive at the first computer applications class feeling that the course will not benefit their career path.

By Denise Seguin With the holiday season in full swing, people are socializing more with friends and colleagues and sharing stories, videos, and photos on social media. At this festive time of year, everyone should have some fun and enjoy the respite from work and school. But, let’s also take a moment to educate students about how the content they decide to put on the Internet leaves a trail.

As educators in the classroom or behind the scenes in courseware development, we all want students to have access to higher education, including the resources needed to succeed. Open books are now being used in 2,500 U.S. courses in the 2015—2016 academic year. These open education resources (OERs) include the availabil­ity of open licensing and the ability to reuse and remix content. As awareness of OERs spreads, we need to be conscious of the barriers they may present. For example:

There is a growing demand for a focus on education technology in schools. According to graphite.org, 96% of educators believe that edtech increases student engagement in learning. Even though the desire is there, we know time, access, and money limit an educator’s ability to use technology tools. Yet, technology impacts our daily lives and students need digital literacy skills to be successful in the ever-changing, technology-driven world. As the job market becomes more competitive, having these skills taught in the classroom will increase students’ success, making them work ready!

Through conversations with instructors, I have found that most educators want to implement soft skills coverage in their courses. They find it important for students to have the trade skills and competency necessary to do their job, but they also want to ensure that students are employable after completing their program.