REBECCA FRASER, training manager at ICT @ Huntington, reassures "returners" - such as mums hoping to get back to work after raising a family - don't fear the microchip gap.

IT is a strange world that faces those who return to work after a couple of years.

Mothers who took time out to have children, for instance, may once have been masters of the microchip in their day, but the world has wagged on and they now appear to be left way behind.

It's easy to see why.

IT technology moves on rapidly and, nowadays, is so much more an integral part of business processes which constantly need to adapt to the moveable feast of releases and upgrades of new computer packages and programs

Whatever job you're in - accounting, finance, administration, secretarial, health service - you need to be IT literate.

If you're looking for an office job, it is likely that the first question you'll be asked at an interview will be "how IT literate are you"?

But there really is no need to feel that the world has passed you by.

Our training centre in Huntington offers a free advice and assessment service to assess exactly how to build those bridges of knowledge into the working world.

If you do want to go ahead with catching up make sure that you choose a training organisation which specialises in computing and business skills essential to work in any office environment.

Particularly choose a trainer which is an ECDL Accredited Centre (European Computer Driving Licence), and be assured that certification can be offered in word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation, Outlook and the Internet.

Don't feel inhibited or tied down.

No previous IT knowledge is required and you should be given the option of training in your own time, at your own pace.

Also make sure that the courses are recognised by today's employers, such as book keeping, accounting, SAGE and payroll courses,

Updated: 11:16 Friday, August 06, 2004