Media Career Development Network (MCDN) has commenced its monthly capacity development workshops for the year 2023.
The January edition which focused on the use of Microsoft Excel was attended by journalists and others interested in learning and maximising the application.
Facilitating the session, Mrs Bolanle Emmanuel, a trainer introduced the package to participants stating that not only bankers, engineers and related professionals need it for their work but journalists also do.
“Excel worksheet is not limited to bankers and related professionals but also journalists who deal with large data who may also need to generate graphical illustration of their data,” she said, adding that journalists would do well to learn, use and maximise Excel to make their work easier.
Emmanuel also said that Excel is what everybody needs because it helps users to plan and organise themselves.
“Excel is what everybody who uses the computer should learn to use. It can help you organise your monthly or annual financial activities. You can use it to organise yourself and track your personal budget and financial activities at a glance.
“You would not need to rack your brain over some financial records because you can organise everything on a worksheet which makes it easy for tracking,” she said.
In the office, she said, “Excel can be used to do staff nominal roles, office imprest, employees contact details, it is also very useful in Accounts and HR departments of organisations.”
Responding to the training, a student journalist, Peace Oladipo said, “ The workshop was great. One of my goals for this year as a journalist is to dive into Data Journalism. This workshop has helped in getting my mind ready and granted me the elementary tools needed for the job.”
The mass communication final year student at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State on internship with MCDN stated further that, “The trainer did a fantastic job of making the short workshop simple and practical.”
Another participant, a staff of a civil society organisation, Centre for Children’s Health Education Orientation and Protection, (CEE-HOPE), Temitope Shogunle was grateful for the session which she said was worth her while. “I must say once again that I really enjoyed the class. Thanks for the invitation, God bless you.”
Executive Director of MCDN, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin at the end of the session appreciated the facilitator and participants present at the event.
“We promise to make more technical sessions available for journalists and allied professionals to be better at their jobs. We have had so many training in the past and in this new year we shall continue to build the capacity of journalists and we know the industry would be better for it,” he assured.
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Send an email to info@mediacareerng.org for more information about our training programme.