How long have you been using computers? I expect everyone in this class to say every long time. No matter what purposes you use them for. Some people may be familiar with computers because they play an online games, access social network every day or use to support their working. However, with a surprising information published on the news, there are still some people resided in the western country did not have their own computers.
The BBC News article "Prince's Trust: Poor IT skills Hurt Youth Job Chances" (2013) reports that more than one tenth of people who are between fifteen and twenty-five years old lack IT skills leading to less job opportunities. As a result, the researcher tries to educate the pupils who may lack computer skills at the young age at school by mainly using the donated money from the hip star named Will.i.am.
I am very surprised to know that there are a number of people who have a lack of computer skill. Especially, those are at the very young ages. Since the computer was developed and introduced long time ago at least it's before those young blood were born.
I think that the lack of computer skill leads to a lack of opportunity for an applicant to apply for a job as well as a chance for an employer to access to the applicant's resume. The company normally hires outsource in order to recruit staff at the very first stage before referring to the company. Therefore, if the applicant uploads the data online, the head hunter can easily access and match what the suitable jobs for him or her. It mean a greater chance to get at least one job. But, if the applicant still submit the application in a paper form, he or she might has to walk or mail to every single company. This method is time consuming and inefficient.
However, it reminds me of my cousin who also did not have his own computer at home. It was about ten years ago; therefore, it might not be that weird for others at that time. When he applied for a job, he submitted his application by hand rather than doing online as it was required. He told me that all his friends submitted the applications online except him. As a result, we were very worried that he might not get a job because he missed one requirement that asking to submit the application online. Also, we were afraid that his paper application would lost. Fortunately, as there were others qualifications taking into consideration, he finally got the job. Whereas, all of his friends did not get it.
Prince's Trust: Poor IT skills hurt youth job chances. (2013, March 12). BBC News Business. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21747206
I think that the lack of computer skill leads to a lack of opportunity for an applicant to apply for a job as well as a chance for an employer to access to the applicant's resume. The company normally hires outsource in order to recruit staff at the very first stage before referring to the company. Therefore, if the applicant uploads the data online, the head hunter can easily access and match what the suitable jobs for him or her. It mean a greater chance to get at least one job. But, if the applicant still submit the application in a paper form, he or she might has to walk or mail to every single company. This method is time consuming and inefficient.
However, it reminds me of my cousin who also did not have his own computer at home. It was about ten years ago; therefore, it might not be that weird for others at that time. When he applied for a job, he submitted his application by hand rather than doing online as it was required. He told me that all his friends submitted the applications online except him. As a result, we were very worried that he might not get a job because he missed one requirement that asking to submit the application online. Also, we were afraid that his paper application would lost. Fortunately, as there were others qualifications taking into consideration, he finally got the job. Whereas, all of his friends did not get it.
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When I studied computer science at university (only for one year), the university computer (there was only one) was housed in it's own building, and it was ... not very fast, not very easy to program, and had a habit of having problems. There were no such things as home PCs and in general, only large companies and universities had their own computers.
ReplyDeleteEighteen years later, I bought my first notebook. PCs were common in homes, but I suspect that most people still didn't own a computer in those days of DOS and Windows 3.
The smartphone I carry in my pocket today is a more powerful computer than all of those previous antiques. In addition, as well as a powerful PC on my desk, I have the latest Sony ultrabook and a tablet. Like Peace, I can't imagine living without them now. My nieces and nephews no longer have school books - they have a tablet or notebook, and everything, and do mean everything, is online. I must remember to ask them if they actually take pens to school any more.
When I look back, the changes in my life time have been amazing, and they keep coming faster and faster.
Totally off topic but my response: I was similarly amazed to learn that about 15% of Americans don't have a bank account!
ReplyDeleteHow can anyone live today without a bank account?
And although my 83 year old mum gets by with cash and a cheque book, I can't imagine not having the convenience of online banking. I suspect my nieces and nephews will never use a cheque. And I wonder how much longer cash will last. I use a card for almost everything over 200 Baht, and on my visits to Australia, I don't use cash, ever.
I think nowadays most company prefer paying debt online since it's easy, quickly, and does not require face-to-face communication. Also, I find that some transactions do not allow us to use cash such as booking ticket online.
DeleteMy friends who are now studying in the UK told me that they'd better use the credit cards than cash at the moment because of the depreciation in Pound per Baht. However, I think that they need to trade off between the fee charge for using credit card in foreign countries and the loss in money value.
Similar to your nieces and nephews, I use computer for work everyday. So, it mean that I have to type in English not to write in my documents. I rarely use pen or pencil in my daily life. However, when I had to take a paper-pencil exam in Thai, I could not write as fast as I want because I had hardly used the pencil. Also, sometimes I found it difficult to spell the words in order to make a complete sentences. I seem like I'd practiced typing in English, but I had to take a writing exam in Thai. So, I think it would be better if everything improved to the equivalent standard.
ReplyDeleteI do not sure about how much can I trust their survey becuse one tenth of those people who lack of IT skill although they are new genernation living develop country which is quite weird for me. I think sometime this new seems over real; however I do agree with Peace and Peter above because computer is one most neccessary for nowadays life style. I use for learning or doing homework by microsoft word also have an online account which is excellent system.
ReplyDeleteI believe totally that our daily lives are depended on computers. When I was 8 years old, I started to use the computers by teaching from a teacher. After that, I learnt and developed my computer skills via playing online game and chatting with my friends. When I studied at upper secondary school and university, I relied on them increasingly in searching and doing my project. Now, I use them in applying the university through online application because a large number of universities requires applicant sending application forms and other evidences on internet.
ReplyDeleteI regret that some people , especially some teenagers,cannot access to use computer. This makes them inferior when compared with others who are good at using computers.
I do agree with Arm. Nowadays, computers play an important role in our daily life. We use the computer in various aspects such as for work, for education, for communication. Computer helps us to do things and it makes us can do everything faster and easier; for example, computer helps us to search the information ,we no need to waste time to go to the library or book store in order to find information.
DeleteI also cannot imagine that How can we live without the computer?
I'm just wonder if there are kids who lack computer skills. All of them were born with technology at least the windows XP era. In contrast, In my generation( probably our generation), I remember the first computer I used has no heard disk. Instated, I has a very big floppy disk drive which you can find in a museum today. However, I think I'm pretty good at it.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, floppy disks. I remember those antiques. In those days we thought 1.44 MB was a lot. Now, a photo from my phone is file that size.
DeleteNot having visited the dead technology museum, my youngest sisters four kids have probably never seen a floppy disk, or a cassette tape or a video tape.
And I'm looking forward to ditching my DVD collection for all online movies, just as I no longer buy paper versions of books.
My school has divided their scientific students into seven majors, and my major is computer programming. The subject is a very useful subject, especially for the world today. In this subject we learn how to write a simple program via basic C++ language and adapt our programs to be used in various situations. It helps our lives to be much better and easier, for example, I wrote a simple statistical program for my physics project, so all I had to do is entering the value I measured and waiting for the program to calculate other values for me. However, it's sad that only students of my major will have an opportunity to learn this subject while the other six majors don't.
ReplyDeleteMing, I studied Sci-German and enjoyed it thoroughly, although I hardly use it nowadays. Some of my friends who studied Sci-Com as same as you in high school furthered their studies in computer engineering at the university. It reminds me how much they were so into c++ language (like you) at that time. Now they are doing well in their careers.
DeleteRecently, my cousin has just applied to the university in France. To my surprise, no online application is available, only airmail. It is difficult for her to find the French stamps and affixed to the envelope so that the university can respond to her.
ReplyDeleteFinally, she was able to.
This is unbelievable that this method is still exist in France today.
Weird!
DeleteI through that the good way for introducing computer to get some interest from children is playing game computer. It doesn't matter what type of game, but every game have the purposes which is hidden thought the game. It depends on kid's game tastes which their parent should force their children to play with the game that these children do not like because the children shall get some bore and these can affect to their computer learning skill.
ReplyDeleteI like writing on the paper than typing. I use different color pen every time when I write some plans or notes or draw. It makes me feel happy to see fully colorful writing on my paper. But it is really faster and easier than when I use the modern tech such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Autocad, Microsoft office. It is helpful and neat.
ReplyDeleteOnce I saw a baby on youtube use his little finger slides a book, but the book still on the same page, he try again and again until the end. Because the baby is already used to ipad since he was born. But I think sometime we can back to the nature is quite good, maybe a really book for him?