Technical Skills Training in Des Moines, IA

Choose a task and the right starting level

Describe your goal as a task: create a monthly sales report, reconcile a practice account or edit a web page. Name the software, your current skills and the employees who need instruction. Ask the trainer to build the lesson around that task and include a chance for each learner to complete it.

DMACC’s continuing education catalog lists workplace computer skills, Excel, QuickBooks Online, coding, web design, cybersecurity and AI courses. Use the relevant outline to compare topics, then confirm prerequisites, tuition and the next available session before registering. [3]

For Excel, DMACC’s basic outline includes data entry, worksheet calculations, formatting and charts. Its intermediate outline adds conditional formatting, financial functions, IF criteria and lookup functions. Compare these topics with tasks you can complete without assistance before choosing a level. [3]

Check how you will receive instruction

For its listed short-term ed2go offerings, DMACC describes six-week instructor-moderated courses with two lessons each week and four hours of weekly work. Learners use written discussion boards with an instructor and participants. The three-month self-guided option includes no instructor or participant discussion. [3]

DMACC describes UGOTCLASS offerings as online readings, audio presentations and written discussion boards, with access during the course month and no set meeting day or time. Ask about live support if you want someone to watch you troubleshoot a spreadsheet or explain an error during a session. [3]

For private instruction, agree on session length, delivery format and feedback arrangements. Ask whether each employee needs a computer, who handles setup and whether the trainer answers questions between lessons. Request an example exercise at your level before committing to a package.

Compare total costs and credential requirements

Request written quotes for your chosen training scope. Separate instruction, preparation, travel, software, materials and examination charges. Confirm whether the trainer charges per learner, per session or for the group. Include cancellation terms and the price of follow-up help in your comparison.

Check the software requirements for the particular course. DMACC recommends Microsoft Suite for its Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace certificate but says learners do not need it to pass. Its QuickBooks Online certificate includes a free trial for class use. Confirm that your software version suits the exercises. [3]

DMACC describes its IT Helpdesk program as preparing successful students to complete a PC Pro Certification. If your goal involves an external credential, ask which examination you must pass and whether the training price includes it. Name the credential in your training brief. [3]

Prepare practice files and a completion check

Bring a copy of a representative file with customer names, financial details and passwords removed. Use a practice account for bookkeeping or website exercises. Agree on whether the instructor will teach the task, configure the software or do both, so you can compare proposals on the same basis.

Ask the instructor to demonstrate the task, then complete it yourself while they observe. Keep instructions and unresolved questions together. For staff training, have each learner complete the practice exercise and identify the steps they still need help with before arranging further lessons.

Published study commitments for two DMACC training routes

Choose a route that fits your learning task

Your hiring checklist

1. Define the task each learner should perform without help.
2. List current skills, devices and software versions.
3. Compare lesson topics with the relevant course outline.
4. Confirm instructor access, feedback and meeting requirements.
5. Request a written total price and cancellation terms.
6. Check tuition assistance eligibility before committing to enrollment.
7. Prepare sanitized files and practice accounts.
8. Agree on a completion exercise and follow-up scope.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get free help before hiring a trainer?

DMPL offers free technology help classes and accepts questions about devices and library resources. North Side Library offers computer classes. Check the topic before assuming a session covers your business software or project. [1]

Does an online course include live lessons?

Check the particular course format. DMACC’s listed six-week ed2go courses include written instructor discussion; its three-month self-guided format includes no instructor or participant discussion. Ask about scheduled live teaching if you need it. [3]

Can self-employed applicants seek WTA assistance?

DMACC describes documentation requirements for self-employed applicants: an Iowa Workforce Development Income Verification Request and possibly additional documentation from a Pathway Navigator. Applicants must meet the other eligibility conditions, including having no other means to pay tuition. WTA says applicants who exceed income guidelines should continue the process because other resources may be available. [2]

Can I enroll before applying for WTA funding?

DMACC requires applicants to secure tuition before enrollment. Its application and eligibility process can take up to four weeks, and approval timing differs from class start dates. Plan funding and registration together before committing. [2]